Troubled Saab has published preliminary details about an experimental battery-powered version of the 9-3 sedan.
Based on the existing 9-3 Aero, the electric sedan is powered by a 140-horsepower electric motor that allows it to hit 62 mph from a stop in about ten seconds. Top speed is reached at roughly 75 mph.
The motor can spin the front wheels for up to 124 miles by drawing electricity from a lithium-ion battery pack mounted under the floor, a setup that allowed Saab engineers to preserve the stock 9-3′s trunk and interior space. The location of the pack also lowers the 9-3′s center of gravity and gives it a near 50/50 weight distribution.
Drivetrain aside, the electric 9-3 is nearly identical to the gasoline-burning model that briefly rolled off of the Trollhättan, Sweden, assembly line earlier this year.
Saab parent company National Electric Vehicles Sweden (NEVS) explains the prototype was built last May in order to gather data about how electric vehicles work. NEVS is also using the car to test out new technology and to verify that the Trollhättan factory is capable of churning out electric vehicles in an efficient and reliable manner.
Dire Straits?
Financial issues forced NEVS to stop 9-3 production last May. The company is keeping mum about its current financial situation but an earlier report indicates is it busily negotiating the terms of a two-pronged alliance with India’s Mahindra and China’s Dongfeng.
Analysts predict the partnership would prevent Saab from going under a second time. It will also give NEVS the resources required to develop new models (including an EV) and re-introduce the Saab brand in key markets all around the globe.
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