Saab 9-3 EV for Norway

One of the first markets for the Saab 9-3 EV is Norway. The first electric car from Trollhättan will go into production in the fall, and sales will start in the first quarter of 2015.

Saab EV
Saab EV

As NEVS yesterday told BilNytt, Norway should become one of the key markets for the EV. There were 20 Saab partners in earlier times. Still active are 15 dealerships serving their Saab customers.

According to NEVS press chief Mikael Östlund, one thinks about “lean sales”. Accordingly, there should be no Saab importer for Norway - the contractual partners should either receive dealer contracts with a direct delivery from the manufacturer or act as agencies for NEVS. How exactly the sales concept will look has not yet been decided.

According to BilNytt, NEVS plans to only offer the new Saab EV in three or four markets. Ok China, Sweden, Norway. The Netherlands. That was it. Hmm ...

For NEVS it makes sense to offer the Saab EV in Norway. In the first quarter of 2014, electric cars had a market share of 20.3% in Norway. The market leader is Tesla with a share in the overall market of 10.8%. Or, to put it a bit more clearly: every second vehicle in the EV segment is a Tesla! In numbers came in the first three months of this year 1.493 new Tesla S on Norwegian roads.

EV approvals in Norway. 1. Quarter 2014
EV approvals in Norway. 1. Quarter 2014

(Source / Statistics: Norsk Ebilforening)

Interesting when you consider that Tesla is in the upper class segment and makes other, much cheaper brands look quite old. Ambitious when you consider that NEVS wants to compete against it with the Saab 9-3 EV. For Trollhättan, it is a tough road to success, because the Tesla can do everything that the 9-3 cannot up to now. There are - just for example - the latest multimedia systems and nice little things like the start function or preheating of the interior via smartphone.

The current 9-3 does not even have a navigation system ex works or a Bluetooth hands-free device. The Swedish dealers now have new vehicles with retrofit solutions that are not in line with the premium standards of the brand. Room for improvement is there. Let's see what you want to come up in Trollhättan on these topics with the model 2015. Because a walk through the booming EV segment in Norway will not exist for the Saab 9-3 EV.

Text: tom@saabblog.net

 

11 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline feedback
View all comments
HerrSchü
HerrSchü
9 years earlier

Now the time has come. But the 9-3 EV will hopefully come with alternative alloy wheels. I know that is now vll. Nagging at a high level and probably the Saab-special rims - forgive me for my ignorance - but I just don't find them beautiful.

"[...] Trollhättan has a tough road to success, because the Tesla can do everything that the 9-3 cannot until now. [...]"

I don't even think that's bad now. My 19t € Leon cannot do everything that an 80t € A6 / 5 can do. He doesn't have to either, he just has to provide the appropriate consideration for the price. That's why I don't see it that closely that the (actually “that”) new EV doesn't have any new multimedia functions.
I want to let out the whole Spittel completely, but to build a car, despite the first run around the 350-400km drives.

In my opinion, you shouldn't make the mistake of viewing the Tesla as a benchmark. Because in this case the 9-3 EV just looks like an “old remodeled car”. The fact that there is a lot of technology and know-how in it, however, simply goes under - because the Tesla Model S is so ... awesome ...
The comparison with the Tesla Model S NEVS should first weigh, if there is a 9-5 EV (or his name is different). But then please also with 500km + range and similar performance. The 9-3 EV (or successor) has to compete with the model E (from 2016?). Because this is supposed to be at 21-25t € and have a range of about 300km.

Nevertheless, it remains quite exciting what NEVS will put on its feet.

Detlef Rudolf
Detlef Rudolf
9 years earlier

We in Germany in the next few years no
Getting electric vehicles delivered from Trollhättan was actually clear. Doesn't make sense either - nothing happens here in terms of infrastructure for electromobility anyway.

As is usually the case, our politicians are concerned with themselves or other important matters - the German car industry also sets the pace when it comes to e-mobility!

SaabRedJ
SaabRedJ
9 years earlier

Norway has a brutal market distortion through the tax system. Normalos can afford only very small cars, and for such people, e-cars are not interesting, from the other side of a Tesla is relatively cheap in their segment, and if you have money you can still say that you care about the environment but I guess most Tesla S are bought in and around Oslo, where you can get along quite well with an EV even in winter.

Zirkoski
Zirkoski
9 years earlier

Happy Norwegians. So Sweden, Dutch and Norwegians get new SAAB's. My Swiss friends are also sure to be there soon. Only here there is neither information nor hope. Too bad.

SaabRedJ
SaabRedJ
9 years earlier
Reply to  Zirkoski

In the far south one also talks about new Saab cars for the MJ15. Germany is a very difficult market. People here either buy a VW, or lease an Audi or BMW, something else is always talked down high-pressure by the press.

Zirkoski
Zirkoski
9 years earlier
Reply to  SaabRedJ

That with the people the BMW or irgedwas lease I do not see it that way. My circle of friends drives SAAB and the question is whether in the future we will have to get EU imports from Holland or Italy.

SaabRedJ
SaabRedJ
9 years earlier
Reply to  Zirkoski

We are such a small group ...

Ludwig Meier
Ludwig Meier
9 years earlier
Reply to  SaabRedJ

That's just cheap conspiracy propaganda. There is and always has been a small demanding market for anything other than Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Only the quality has to be right anyway. There's no need for a nasty press to break something

GP362
GP362
9 years earlier
Reply to  Ludwig Meier

Conspiracy propaganda is not that true!
How well such press work works and is still in the mind today can be seen in the example of 900-II.
Who knew, for example, that a 900-II had the “follow me home” function in the lighting system in 1994! Neither was written about it - nobody in D. knew either!
But it was claimed that he drives with Opel engines, which is not true except for the small amount of 2,5 / V6. Only that burns in Michel's head.
When I bought my last new 1998 in 9000, which now has nothing to do with GM, friends asked me: "Are you driving Opel now?" - the press work works well….

Peter Röthlin (Switzerland)
Peter Röthlin (Switzerland)
9 years earlier

Interesting as info. Also as an indication of the next step of the Saab community (see photo): Learn Chinese (or Cantonese, or whatever). Or more simply: just Norwegian.

Kochje
9 years earlier

Very interesting development !! Thanks for this post.