Stockholm enforcement authority, Kronofogden, says it has received 30 applications totalling US$3.45m for unpaid bills relating to National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) as the automaker struggles with short-term financing.
NEVS – which has been forced to halt 9-3 Saab production because of its difficulties – said only some component makers were being paid as it looks to secure future cash injection following contractual issues with a shareholder.
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Speculation has centred around Mahindra & Mahindra as well as Dongfeng to be potential suitors, while the situation spooked NEVS’ three unions into holding a joint meeting in Stockholm yesterday (18 June) to discuss the situation.
“So far there is no debt established at all – this is a first step,” a Kronofogden spokesman told just-auto from Sweden. “When someone claims someone else has a debt, they send [an] application to us.
“So in this case, all these applications are transmitted from us to NEVS and we have not got the answers yet. It is 30 applications – US$3.45m.
“Even if the debts are OK by NEVS, the suppliers can decide not to do something about them. Maybe they have some sort of discussions with each other to solve the problem.”
NEVS says it will pay wages to its 600 staff – a number already considerably depleted since it let around 100 consultants go – on 25 June – but the situation for next month and beyond remains unclear.
The automaker previously said NEVS’ main owner, National Modern Energy Holdings (NME), has since the beginning of the year decided to be the sole financier of the company, while it also highlights its assets such as buildings and tools as a means to obtain future finance.
“What we have said is we hope to see a result of dialogue during June, but it could well be July,” said a NEVS spokesman.
“We have enough money to pay our employees for June.”
