Saab Might Revive its Hometown in Sweden Due to China Electric Push

Saab hopes that its new owner will be able to revive the brand and its Swedish hometown.

More than a year after it went bankrupt Saab plans to get back on the track introducing its new 9-3 sedans and convertibles beginning with August. The company expects the money from the sales of the diesel-powered vehicles to be enough to help Saab convert into an EV manufacturer.

The news comes as a hope for revival for the city of Trollhaettan, in Sweden, Saab’s hometown, which has had a rough time since the automaker went bankrupt and 3,400 people, or 7% of the city’s population, lost their jobs.

“Even in the darkest and hardest times, new hopes can be awakened through new possibilities,” said Birgitta Simson, a 52-year-old deacon at the Swedish Church in Trollhaettan. “We have to believe that God cares about our city and that in the darkest hours, a possibility can come from the most unexpected direction.”

Saab’s new owners plan to supply China with EVs, beginning with the 9-3X wagon in 2013 and the electrics based on the 9-3 in 2014. NEVS, which purchased Saab last August, plans to manufacture 120,000 vehicles by 2016, close to Saab’s peak of 133,000 vehicles set in 2006.