National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs) has started the very first delivery of its 9-3 models to dealers across Sweden with the demonstrator vehicles available for test drive.
News of the delivery of around 50 9-3s to 20 dealers comes as Nevs, which acquired the assets of bankrupt Saab Automobile in 2012, also announced this week a global distribution agreement with Orio guaranteeing spare parts.
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Nevs started production in its hometown of Trollhättan of the Saab 9-3 Aero sedan with 220hp, two litre, turbocharged petrol engines last December.
“That is the very first delivery,” a Nevs spokesman told just-auto from Trollhättan.
“We have registered ownership of cars by ourselves of course, but this is the first delivery to external clients and this first batch of 20 cars will help customers to arrange test drives.”
Nevs is using former dealers who used to represent Saab Automobile, but are now acting for other brands as well.
The automaker’s model is to allow dealers to provide information and arrange test drives, with the customer subsequently purchasing a vehicle from Nevs’ website and then visiting Trollhättan for personal collection of the car.
“It is around 50 cars [so far] to 20 separate dealers,” said the Nevs spokesman. “It is not a fixed number.
“Since we started dialogue, there [have] been more former dealers that have called – these cars will be delivered during this next week.
“We will start delivery to customers by the end of April and we are booking these delivery dates and times at the moment.”
Clients looking to pick up their Saabs from Trollhättan – they can opt to have the cars delivered for a further fee – will also be offered a guided tour of the factory as well as the chance to visit the automaker’s museum and meet some of the management team.
“We will have a close and personal relationship with the customer,” said the Nevs spokesman.
The Swedish company is 78 % owned by National Modern Energy Holdings and 22 % by Qingdao Qingbo Investment.
