“Ur-EV-SAAB” returns to Trollhättan as the newest generation approaches production phase
Some 42 years ago, the first SAAB Electric Vehicle saw the light of day in Trollhättan. Developed by then SAAB-Scania, the prototype for the Swedish National Postal Service was ahead of its time in many ways. Today, the car returned to Stallbacka after having been on display in a museum in The Netherlands for several years. This “Ur-EV-SAAB” was standing in the heart of the NEVS Technical Center, next to one of the SAAB 9-3 EV prototypes developed by NEVS while the latest generation of EV's is getting closer to the production stage…
A heavy NEVS management delegation was on site to welcome the car that had been acquired earlier last year in the Netherlands. In close collaboration with Saabpartners.com, the EV was obtained from a now closed privately held SAAB museum and presented to a NEVS delegation in October in conjunction with the opening of Saabpartner's new showroom in Meppel (see earlier coverage of this eventincluding video footage).
The press event was attended by several journalists from regional and local media and opened by Dirk Koppen, co-founder of Saabpartners. Dirk shared the story about the background of this unique EV and handed over the car, together with a symbolic “EV emergency kit” to NEVS President Mattias Bergman and Stig Nodin, Vice President Engineering & Product Development.
New EV generation getting closer to production
Next to the "Ur-EV-SAAB" was a prototype of the recent developments: a SAAB 9-3 EV based on the "Phoenix 1.1”Architecture, the platform the EV's ordered by Chinese Panda New Energy and Huateng plus the collaboration with Turkish TUBITAK is based on. Stig Nodin confirmed that their development efforts around the new SAAB 9-3 based-EV is paying off. "I am quite happy with both the reliability and the performance and that they are in line with our customers' requirements. We listen carefully to what our customers would like to have and we're offering now a sub 10 second 0-100 km / h acceleration. Of course we can provide even better performance yet it's all about the actual requirements. The other thing is that while further improving acceleration is relatively easy, it is a trade-off against other things and we are investing a lot in increasing the driving range. We currently are very confident to offer a range of 250-300 kilometers. That can be extended further by for example adding more batteries, but that increases the cost of the car."
This car is also a prototype for a SUV? Lots of space… 😉
Thanks for sharing. For me ... if the core (soul) of it is Saab, and (as long) there is one selling coming from troll'city, there can (should) be others sharing the physical core. Actually it could be the only way to exist ... for the cars called Saab. We all know the history ...
but still today what they showed is not the china nevs ev grill ... who knows if that means something.
Very well spotted. The front is different to the China version. And I am sure it has a meaning. If NEVS wants successfull in Europe and USA they need to have the license to use the SAAB name again. There is no reason why SAAB AB would deny this to NEVS. Its only a matter of money.
I believe this is not new to the factory in Trollhattan.
GM and SAAB Aircraft AB. Does anybody know more?
This was not the first SAAB EV. It was the SAAB Permobil from the 1960s! http://saabworld.net/showthread.php?t=29732
Now that's a real mobility solution!
I am Dirk Koppen and co-owner of Saabpartners the company that brought back the Ur El Saab to Trollhättan. We also have an old Permobil available and if NEVS would like to show it we will be glad to offer it to them so they can show it. It is not a car though …….
The Permobil is not a car ... 😉