Production in Trollhättan? A fine adjustment of the words.
The last few days have been interesting! The NEVS founder leaves, the real estate giant Evergrande takes over at Göta Älv. At the same time, the first new product since 2011 is shown. A self-driving one robot taxi, whose imagination may get little attention. A lot going on in Trollhättan.
There was mine Post about the departure of the founder. Compact to say what to say. The end of an era and the statement made by NEVS CEO Stefan Tilk to the Swedish media that there would be no production in Trollhättan before 2023. The spirits differed on this sentence.
Production in Trollhättan?
He is right, without question. As of today, NEVS or Evergrande will have no series production before 2023 in the old Saab factory. The statement would not have been a problem in the past. Today, since Saabblog is read internationally, yes. In addition: times have become very sensitive, long periods of inactivity do not read well. A request for relativization came from the expanded NEVS environment. No mass production - but ...
It is said that cars will be built. Copies of the Sango robot taxi, prototypes of upcoming electric vehicles. Even electric vehicles from Koenigsegg are conceivable. The plant will not stand so completely still in the coming years, that seems clear. There should be some life and a future.
The possible contract manufacturing of Sono Motors was not mentioned at all in the article about the progress of KJJ. Nevertheless, it was the basis for a discussion in the circles of the Munich start-up. Finally, the Sono press office asked for the article to be supplemented. Contract manufacturing in Trollhättan is not affected, the current planning does not change. In plain language: The planning that from the 1st quarter of 2022 vehicles “Made in Trollhättan”Will continue to be in customer hands.
According to the current status, production of the Sion should start as early as autumn 2021. However, its first copies are not yet destined for delivery. You will see if the schedule is valid. Corona does not make planning easier and causes uncertainties.
Sono Motors, Koenigsegg, Sango, NEVS. There are many options for Trollhättan. For the first time in years, but a few things need to be made clear. The priority for Evergrande is in China, and before there is a functioning production in Trollhättan, high investments are necessary. A car factory that is at a standstill cannot simply be switched on again. Before you can flip the first switch, you need acceptance tests, permits, new systems.
It is to be welcomed that there are prospects in difficult times. I am happy for Trollhättan and for the automotive tradition of the city. If it's helpful, I'll be there. With a fine adjustment of the words.
looking at where lotus are going and where volvo are i would say well done to geely….
Without access to the SAAB name then the road will be like K2 ...
But hope lives eternal and here in Western Australia SAAB's don't rust
@Franken Troll,
was just on the side of Sono Motors. There are so-called blog posts and you can subscribe to a newsletter.
I read the latest blog post. Many words and very viscous.
You can easily read the difficult balancing act between factual honesty and a positive mood cloud.
I even like it. But it's not really professional. Not because it is somehow honest, but because it is not disarmingly honest and therefore offers the space for the speculations that Sono does not want and cannot use.
An example: Only 2 new (instead of originally 4 planned) prototypes are built. An honest statement. But not a disarmingly honest one, if this decision remains unexplained in a positive and wordy mood cloud around the latest CAD drawings.
I then have the desire to read past and older blog posts and have not subscribed to the newsletter.
I like the project (Sion) and the company (Sono). But (and that was your point) I don't think that Sono could currently get “insights” in a meaningful way.
They have completely different worries than answering (possibly critical) questions from journalists and chroniclers. I hope Sono ultimately succeeds. It would be a very good story that the protagonists would be happy to tell ...
But it is not that far yet.
A few more insights from Sono Motors would still be desirable. Even if it is not a core issue.
For correction: Of course, the penultimate sentence should say Sono Motors and not Sion!
@Volvaab Driver
I see it quite similarly. For the sake of completeness, one could certainly have mentioned in the original report that there are still the intended productions by Sono and possibly Koenigsegg. In the end, however, the focus is on the statement made by the NEVS CEO. And that says that there will be no mass production by 2023. Point.
Certainly, now you can say that the statement is badly made to allow speculation with other companies. But the blog does not have to measure itself by this, but rather the communication of NEVS. And that's a difficult one (every Saab enthusiast has tried it). How many times have you had to listen to “now let's go - really!” In recent years. Always postponed, canceled or simply no longer communicated. Finding reliable data and facts about NEVS is like being a gold digger. You felt more about NEVS on the blog than NEVS itself
So it seems only logical that after years of spongy information policy one refers to the few comments in the Swedish press without wanting to make further speculations. Why too? In the times of Corona, no other industry has become as fast-paced as automobile construction. Who knows what is written today that will still be valid tomorrow ?!
No matter how: The only winner in this situation can only be the blog. It is almost admirable that after 10 years there still seems to be such a great influence on the reporting about the new billion super corporation from the Far East and the crowdfunding record holder from Germany. The NEVS objection that the blog will continue to serve as an apparently important communication tool in the former Saab and new electronics world in 2020 shows that even other electronic portals are now quoting the blog. And you want to be displayed as correctly as possible.
By the way, the Swedish press still reads (mMn) the texts from a few days ago. Unchanged and without additions. Readers, bloggers and above all the responsible people at Sion and NEVS should think about this. A correct and supplemented representation: To be found on the "small" Saab blog. And all of this for free.
Words and their weight
I am pleased that the blog also receives so much professional attention. And the reaction here and today is good and right.
It is the responsibility of NEVS / Evergrande and Sono Motors to provide information to the public and the press at times.
And it is silly to turn one's own failures into criticism of the rapporteurs.
If you want to be heard and to be displayed correctly at your own discretion, you must occasionally send a sign of life and open your mouth.
There is a lot of free publicity here. Maybe one or the other PR department should recall this?
In any case, as a regular reader of this blog, I am very grateful that anticipatory obedience and pandering are certainly not characteristic of this blog.
Pleasing to have Sono Motors as a topic again. It somehow disappeared and there was no more information? Why? No interest? Nothing to report? Or has the Sion disappeared from the radar screen?
Sono Motors is still on the screen. But as a side issue, which we pursue with a certain sympathy.