Only months after being purchased by Spyker Cars, Swedish automaker Saab has just presented its first electric vehicle, the 9-3 ePower.
Next year, 70 copies of this prototype will hit the road in Sweden for testing and evaluation. One of Saab’s goals is to squeeze a range of about 200 kilometres out of its lithium-ion battery pack.
Based on the SportCombi wagon, the 9-3 ePower is a joint effort between Saab and several other companies: the battery pack is provided by Boston Power and the electric powertrain is provided by Electroengine in Sweden AB, while the project management is headed by Innovatum.
An electric motor connected to the front wheels develops 184 horsepower and is mated to a single-speed transmission, good for 0-100 km/h dashes in 8.5 seconds, a top speed of 150 km/h and an autonomy of 200km.
The battery pack is located where the exhaust system and fuel tank used to reside, so weight distribution and driving dynamics are said to be similar to those of a conventional 9-3.
During the presentation, the Saab management team also talked about a technical partnership with BMW. The engine of the new 9-3 model -- to be launched in 2012 -- will be a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine of 200-hp provided by BMW.
Next year, 70 copies of this prototype will hit the road in Sweden for testing and evaluation. One of Saab’s goals is to squeeze a range of about 200 kilometres out of its lithium-ion battery pack.
Based on the SportCombi wagon, the 9-3 ePower is a joint effort between Saab and several other companies: the battery pack is provided by Boston Power and the electric powertrain is provided by Electroengine in Sweden AB, while the project management is headed by Innovatum.
An electric motor connected to the front wheels develops 184 horsepower and is mated to a single-speed transmission, good for 0-100 km/h dashes in 8.5 seconds, a top speed of 150 km/h and an autonomy of 200km.
The battery pack is located where the exhaust system and fuel tank used to reside, so weight distribution and driving dynamics are said to be similar to those of a conventional 9-3.
During the presentation, the Saab management team also talked about a technical partnership with BMW. The engine of the new 9-3 model -- to be launched in 2012 -- will be a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine of 200-hp provided by BMW.