NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden), the company that owns the Saab trademark, has decided to use its own name for the cars built in Trollhättan. The Saab car brand is now officially dumped on the scrap yard of automobile history..
NEVS said it will base its first electric vehicle, to launch in 2017, on the Saab 9-3 platform but will use its own name as the trademark. The decision to change the name of the cars made at the old Saab factory means that the Saab brand is now officially dead. The badge Saab will no longer appear on cars.
The first Saab car was built in 1949 and the brand, sportier than Swedish rival Volvo, has gained cult status among many car fans worldwide.
Saab AB was parent company to Saab Automobile until 1990, when it sold the brand to General Motors, which then sold it on to Dutch company Spyker in 2010.
Since Saab’s 2012 liquidation, NEVS has used its Saab assets and Swedish know-how to develop a range of electric models. The priority of the new brand will be the Chinese market.
However, NEVS has a long-term business plan with global ambitions. At first, they want to build operations in China, start selling cars and gain revenue. Once stability is reached, a global rollout will begin.
Fortunately for NEVS, Panda New Energy has commissioned the company to deliver 150,000 electric cars, along with 100,000 electric commercial vehicles.
The strategic partnership was supposed to save the Saab make, or so we believed, but it ended up creating an entirely new brand. Farewell Saab. This time for good.
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