Saab 9-3 EV from NEVS WON’T carry the Saab name

It’s been confirmed that the ‘Saab’ 9-3 electric cars built by National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) will not carry the Saab brand.

Just before Christmas we learnt that National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) – the Chinese-backed company which now owns what was left of Saab – had received an order for 150,000 electric cars based on the old Saab 9-3.

Not only that, but earlier this month NEVS revealed a further order of 20,000 9-3 EVS to add to the previous order, clearly securing the future of NEVS and, we assumed, the Saab brand. But that’s not the case.

We had assumed (which we shouldn’t have) that NEVS’ turnaround meant the decision by Saab AB – the Swedish Aerospace and Defence Company which owns the Saab name – to relinquish the right for NEVS after it filed for bankruptcy had been reversed, and that the new electric car would be the Saab 9-3 EV. But that’s not the case.

Speaking to Automotive News, Saab AB spokesman, Sebastian Carlsson, confirmed that the rights for NEVS to use the Saab name has been revoked and that there is no longer a discussion about NEVS using it. Which is pretty unequivocal.

In fact, NEVS plans to market the 9-3 EV under a new brand name to suit the Chinese market, which has not yet been revealed.

So it seems Saab as a car maker – even a Chinese maker of electric cars – is now consigned to the history books.