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Featured Saab 9-3 EV is a player, it just sold 150,000 cars through 2020

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by austingreen, Dec 17, 2015.

  1. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    #1 austingreen, Dec 17, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2015
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    interesting. what kind of experience do they have? chinese co owners make a deal with chinese energy company. very convoluted. is the deal binding?
     
  3. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    I'm sure that if the Chinese government wants it, it will work.
    Worst case they have to buy batteries from a non-chinese source like tesla or lg.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    idk, are the chinese up to snuff on quality?
     
  5. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    I doubt this will be out before the second gen Leaf, which should have a comparable range.
    I'm looking forward to see the EV market unfold with all these second gen cars!
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    what was the first gen?
     
  7. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Well, second gen in a general sense.
    SAAB basically skipped the first gen. Tesla will be on their third gen when most companies are on their second. And a number of companies are learning from their competitors and basically skipping the first gen.

    So perhaps it would have been more accurate for me to have said "the next gen from each manufacturer"
     
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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    interesting that companies can sit on the sidelines, then jump in after studying the competition. much simpler technology than gassers. eventually, if the ev thing starts to catch on, we may have some from every manufacturer.
     
  9. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    That is my hope. The more companies competing the faster the innovation and the quicker prices will come down.
     
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that's how gassers got started. a lot of small companies back then, one man shows practically. kind of like the digital age. i don't think it's impossible for companies like apple to build an electric vehicle, and musk is the one fueling that belief.
     
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  11. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Sure !!
    Here's a recent test to show how much better they're getting ~


    why - SOME of those rides actually could have survivors, if they were riding in the back seats, with helmits & full body armor.
    ;)
    But Saab? I thought they lost billions prior to going under, never to return to the U.S. again.
    .
     
  12. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    They have all the saab engineering intellectual property and includes safety.

    We have no idea how much saab lost. GM bought them, ran them into the ground, then blocked sales of the company while it was viable. There were losses, but we don't know how many that gm assigned were accounting losses really from other gm screw ups, or if they were really saab. In bankruptcy gm should have ended all European operations, not just saab, and sold off the rest. They have been making huge profits in the US and China new car sales post bankruptcy, and spending a lot of it on european losses, and the ignition switch fiasco (should have been jail time, not just fines and settlements).
     
    #12 austingreen, Dec 20, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2015
  13. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    We find the Chinese crash tests shocking, but Chinese car buyers don't put a high priority on safety. Their views have improved; safety has gone up to 7 or8 8 from 10 on their list of car qualities.
     
  14. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    I don't know ... China again & again proves to show itself as a country that PRIDES itself on having no business ethics. Look at just a sampling of the fake cars their government permit to be manufactured;



    I say permit to be made, because (as just ONE example among many) BMW took the company behind their fake X5 SUV to court, only to be told in effect, what are you talking about ... NONE of china's cars look like other manufacturers ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA !!

    Jeremy Clarkson did a piece too, on a sampling of many of the other products that the country gives its blessing to make.



    yes - the cars are roomy ... but the crash tests are easier & slower than US - european & other asian countries tests. Still - just 10 years ago - china was building stuff like this;

    New Picture.jpg

    so yea, thinks are at least progressing
    .
     
    #14 hill, Dec 22, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2015
  15. kgall

    kgall Active Member

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    Not an unusual business strategy in many technology fields over the past century or so.
     
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yes, i remember the reverse engineering scams that went on in the computer world a few decades ago. no better than the chinese, imo.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    china has business ethics, it's simply a failure to communicate.;)