NEVS receives € 850M order for 20,000 EV's
Only a few weeks after the announcement of the major order for 150,000 Saab 9 3 based EV's by Panda New Energy, NEVS now confirms to receive another significant order. Chinese company Huateng wants to receive 20,000 electric vehicles (EVs) from NEVS. This news marks the future business plan launched in November.
In an interview with Swedish Radio, NEVS founder and chairman Kai Johan Jiang confirmed the deal with Huateng (also known as Volinco outside China), a company specializing in aerospace technology.
The order for 20,000 Saab 9-3 is based at SEK 8,5B (approx EUR 850M) and is aimed at Huateng's Leasing division. Jiang also shared that NEVS wants to collaborate with Huateng on the development of specific lightweight parts.
New factory on track
The news came straight from the new factory Building site in Tianjin, where a delegation of the NEVS board of directors was visiting. NEVS President Mattias Bergman stated that the process of progressing according to plan and that the production facility (wants a planned annual capacity of 200,000 cars) should be ready in May 2017.
Phoenix 1.1
No specifics about the characteristics of the cars or the delivery timelines were shared at this point, but NEVS Communications Director Mikael Östlund confirmed to Saabblog.net that the cars will be based on the so-called “Phoenix 1.1” platform (aka NEVS 'own EV-platform that was developed based on the MY14 Saab 9-3).
Today's announcement adds significantly to NEVS 'momentum on the Chinese EV market. A recent article by Norihiko Shirouzu called "A rebranded Saab at the center of China's green car push”Provides some good additional perspectives.
New name?
Some news about another important ingredient -the brand name- was also confirmed recently. In on interview Kai Johan Jiang shared that NEVS had hired international marketing agency. At the same time, it has not been closed yet.
Did you see the 18th slide? “Disruption as weapon” No silly or toxic interpretation - a clear definition. Logically explained in the context and gives a clear picture about what NEVS want to stand for. Don't understand me wrong: Disruption from the technology point of view is a good way and necessary from the environmental point of view.
But - current SAAB drivers which are looking for an answer for their current mobility needs are not in the target segment - neither for the time NEVS exists nor for the next couple of years. If you have the time and patience to wait for what happens - wonderful - do it.
Cheers
If the translation of an interview with NEVS is correct or not isn't relevant for current SAAB drivers and the SAAB Blog. Future will show what's in behind.
What is relevant is that the strategy of NEVS is defined as being “disruptive”. This means in other words that NEVS don't want to have anyhing to do neither with current SAAB drivers nor with SAAB's.
The consequence is that I don't want to have anything to do with NEVS and I'm not interested to hear anything about them. NEVS is NOT the successor of SAAB.
As you already know, I beg to differ, but thanks for voicing your opinion Thomas.
Don't mention it, Michèl. ☺
A conclusion depends on your point of view. Trollhättan and the population there what happens.
For my SAAB and my daily mobility needs it is unfortunately not the answer what the vision of NEVS is and therefore worthless and too late. I live here, not in China. So my personal SAAB story had to come to an end. It's a pity for SAAB but the reality is that there are enough real companies around who are able to deliver real products to cover real mobility needs - today.
Hi Aero, defined by whom exactly?
Hi Black Arrow, It's out of NEVS's strategy and can be read here:
http://saabblog.net/2015/12/11/first-nevs-ev-in-2017-additional-4-new-models-to-be-launched-in-2018/
Hi Aero,
No definition there, just an interpretation. I'll patiently wait on the things that will actually happen.
Cheers
Michael, on the blog of Saabsunited they said this same radio interview in Swedish radio, Kai Johan Jiang revealed that they are working on a new name for their cars.
Why should NEVS do that with Saab AB? Saab away for cars? It does not make any name for the cars in China when the name comes to NEVS.
There is a significant discrepancy between SU's translation / interpretation and what's in the actual interview. Let's leave it with that.
So let us not give up hope
Good news for NEVS! Amazing how the EV market in China is developing. Hopefully they can use the brand name SAAB again!