Photo: NEVS
In 2012, National Electric Vehicle Sweden bought the assets of famously bankrupt carmaker Saab with the intention of re-starting production. For a while, it looked like it wasn't going to happen, but the 9-3 is months away from being reborn as an EV, and a preview concept was presented today.
Officially, they can't call it a Saab, but they can use the 9-3 name for the sedan. There's also a 9-3X SUV, which looks remarkably similar to the 9-4X which Saab launched in 2011.
Despite US President believing that climate change is a bunch of hooey, EV investment is booming in China. NEVS partnered up with Tianjin Binhai Hi-tech Industrial Development Area (THT) to transform the old Swedish sedan into a plug-in.
The platform is pretty old, shared with the old Opel Insignia, which still has some Buick relatives in China.
Even though you can still make out the proportions of the old car, plenty of cosmetic changes have been made. For example, the new LED headlights are thin and bear a striking resemblance to the Citroen design language. There's also a streamlined front bumper, a new grille with blue accents and a clamshell hood.
While no technical details were provided, the 9-3 EV is described as having a 300-kilometer (186 mph) range and a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph). The launch is scheduled for late 2018, but NEVS boasts that over 150,000 orders have been placed by different Chinese companies, such as Panda New Energy, an EV leasing company based in Beijing.
Both models will boast more modern features, such as a Wi-Fi hotspot, a smartphone app to monitor your charge and a newly developed cabin air filter able to get rid of up to 99 percent of all particulates.
It's worth pointing out that when NEVS first unveiled its plans to restart production, in 2013, the Saab 9-3 was supposed to use a 220 hp 2.0-liter turbo.
Despite US President believing that climate change is a bunch of hooey, EV investment is booming in China. NEVS partnered up with Tianjin Binhai Hi-tech Industrial Development Area (THT) to transform the old Swedish sedan into a plug-in.
The platform is pretty old, shared with the old Opel Insignia, which still has some Buick relatives in China.
Even though you can still make out the proportions of the old car, plenty of cosmetic changes have been made. For example, the new LED headlights are thin and bear a striking resemblance to the Citroen design language. There's also a streamlined front bumper, a new grille with blue accents and a clamshell hood.
While no technical details were provided, the 9-3 EV is described as having a 300-kilometer (186 mph) range and a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph). The launch is scheduled for late 2018, but NEVS boasts that over 150,000 orders have been placed by different Chinese companies, such as Panda New Energy, an EV leasing company based in Beijing.
Both models will boast more modern features, such as a Wi-Fi hotspot, a smartphone app to monitor your charge and a newly developed cabin air filter able to get rid of up to 99 percent of all particulates.
It's worth pointing out that when NEVS first unveiled its plans to restart production, in 2013, the Saab 9-3 was supposed to use a 220 hp 2.0-liter turbo.
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