| Chinese bid on Saab's electric cars |
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 Saab e-Power.
The Chinese car builder Beijing Automotive, together with a Japanese battery manufacturers expressed interest in buying Saab Automobile's electric car business.
This electric drive is perfect for the technology platforms of older
Saab models as BAIC bought two years ago and who is soon to begin
production in China, says a source who worked with Saab's electric car
project to the Financial Times.
But in Trollhattan is one moderately interested in electric car project moving to China. We would of course retain this business in the region. It is we who owns the project, says Helmersson, CEO of technology park Innovatum in Trollhattan, the DI. Electric car project 9-3 E-Power, which is half funded by government money, originally covered 100 elkonverterade 9-3 and had a budget of 200 million. Initially they worked under the name ZE 9-3, where ZE accounting for zero emission. When the car was displayed at the Paris Motor Show in September 2010 had been renamed to 9-3 e-Power.a The project includes Innovatum, Saab Automobile, battery maker Boston Power, electric vehicle specialist Electroengine in Uppsala and lobbying organization Power Circle. The first ten cars would be ready for test drive as early as 2010, but this has not happened. The project has also reduced to 70 rebuilt cars in total, but to date has only seven cars converted to electric power, according Helmersson. Saab Automobile has since the project began at the turn of 2009/2010 had about thirty engineers who worked full-time to adapt the batteries from Boston Power electronics and electric motors from Electro Engine to Saab's electric cars. But it will take another few years before Saab's electric cars could reach the market. Former Saab boss Jan Ake Jonsson, has previously said that the target is 2015. According to Dagens Industri, the Chinese car builder Youngman, who made a bid to take over Saab Automobile, also interested in the electric car business. |
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