NEVS begins electric 9-3 production in China

In 2012, Chinese-owned National Electric Vehicle Sweden acquired the assets of bankrupt Saab Automobile. Eighteen months later, as an interim measure, the new proprietors built a few more examples of the already aged petrol-fuelled Saab 9-3.

Now the 9-3 is back again, albeit with three major changes.

Firstly, it wears NEVS badges (because the company is no longer allowed to use the Saab brand); secondly, production has moved from Sweden to Tianjin, China (as expected); thirdly, power comes from an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine (which was always the long-term aim).

NEVS says that the recently-constructed plant at Tianjin can assemble 50,000 cars per annum. Capacity is predicted to increase to 220,000 units during the second phase of the project.

As well as the four-door 9-3 Sedan, a five-door 9-3X estate variant is also planned. Strangely, hardly any technical specifications have been released, but battery range is reckoned to be around 300 kilometres (186 miles).

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