On 21 June media reported that the Swedish Saab car brand had been dumped on the scrapyard of automobile history as National Electric Vehicle Sweden, NEVS, launched its new trademark, having been denied to continue using the venerable name.
Nevs was created to take over the assets of Saab Automobiles in 2012 following the automaker’s bankruptcy, Saab cars were then built for a short while, until running into renewed financial trouble in May 2014. Since then Nevs has failed to persuade trademark owners the Saab aero and defence group to let it continue to use the Saab name for its own future generation of electric cars.
The vision is to shape mobility for a more sustainable future by focusing solely on electric vehicles with mobility solutions built around them. To support this vision a new brand identity has been developed.
Nevs will be the trademark of the company’s products including the first electric vehicle based on the 9-3 platform with start in 2017. That means that Nevs will no longer use the Saab trademark. The automotive industry is changing rapidly to better fit societies struggling with pollution and congestion problems. Nevs intends to be in the forefront of this change, said a press release.
“With sincere respect to our history and heritage, we want to be recognized as ourselves – A sustainable mobility solutions provider who are committed to the environment with a focused growth plan with its own brand as a corner stone, said Mattias Bergman, President Nevs.
The car maker’s long-term business goal is set globally, with China as its first priority and most demanding market for the coming years. Nevs intends to build a strong footprint in China as a base for a global expansion, and continue to establish partnerships with forefront runners to shape the future of mobility solutions.
A number of framework agreements have already been signed, including a strategic partnership agreement with Panda New Energy to deliver 150,000 electric cars and another 100,000 electric commercial vehicles, as well as the collaboration with Chinese State Grid, the world’s largest electric utility company.
Nevs has a unique position by combining proven ability to develop and build high quality premium cars and at the same time the opportunity to build an automotive company for the future with new owners and partners specialized in for instance car sharing solutions and charging infrastructure.
“I believe the tipping point for electric vehicles is very near in many key markets. We aim to contribute to a more sustainable city planning, and together with our partners such as State Grid and Panda New Energy jointly introduce a new business model for mobility, said Jonas Hernqvist, VP Sales & Marketing.
“A transparent approach – with traits such as being inclusive, honest and genuine – is essential for the company, both in terms of behaviour and visualization. From colours to imagery, our new brand design should always reflect our aim of shaping mobility for a more sustainable future,” stated Nevs.
Head office and main research and development facilities are located in Trollhättan, Sweden. The car production plant is located in Trollhättan, with a second production plant and a R&D Centre under construction in Tianjin, China, as well as a production plant in Fujian, China.
