Saab Seals Engine Deal with BMW, gets 4 Cylinder Turbo Units from 2012

The BMW Group and Saab-owner Spyker Cars N.V. have come to an agreement for the use of the German automaker's petrol engines in Saab's vehicles from 2012 onwards. The long-rumored deal, which will ultimately help Saab further reduce its reliance on previous owner General Motors, currently the firm's only supplier of gasoline powerplants, was signed on Wednesday by Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and the CEO of Saab Automobile, JanÅke Jonsson, in Trollhättan in Sweden.

Under the agreement, BMW will supply Saab with 4-cylinder 1.6 liter turbocharged petrol engines, which will incorporate the Bavarian automaker's fuel-saving and emissions -cutting stop-start and regenerative braking tech. Saab said the engines will be adapted to meet the firm's specific requirements.

"We look forward to integrating this technology into our next-generation vehicles in a true Saab way," said Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson.

Though the two automakers did not go into any other details, it is believed that the petrol engines will be the same as the ones used in the MINI range, with at least one of them to be assembled at the BMW Group's Hams Hall engine plant in the UK. The 1.6-liter Turbo will be used on the next 9-3 (expected in 2012), as well as on the new 9-5 sedan.

Ian Robertson, Executive Sales and Marketing Director of BMW said: "Our engines have a clear lead over the competition when it comes to fuel consumption, emissions and performance and we are delighted to support Saab with our engine expertise."

Saab's chairman Victor Muller noted that both parties are open "to explore further opportunities in the future".

The two companies did not disclose any financial or contract volume details on the engine deal.

Saab Reveals its First-Ever Pure Electric Model: 9-3 ePower to Debut in Paris

This month's Paris International Motor Show will host the world premiere of Saab's first ever EV, the 9-3 ePower. Based on the SportWagon variant of the current 9-3, the prototype model will lead to a test fleet of 70 vehicles that will participate in field trials in Sweden early next year.

The car is motivated by a 184HP electric motor driving the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. Energy is provided by a compact 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack located in a modified floor-pan, in a space occupied by the exhaust system and fuel tank on the standard 9-3 SportWagon

The Swedish automaker says the EV can accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in a respectable 9.5 seconds and continue on to a top speed of 150km/h or 93mph.

The projected driving range on a full charge is approximately 200 kilometers or about 124 miles. Saab said the battery can be fully recharged from a domestic mains supply in three to six hours, depending on depletion status. However, the company claims charging times can be reduced significantly if the voltage of the electrical feed is raised.

The only noteworthy styling changes over the regular gasoline/diesel models concerns the new gearshift lever that provides selection of 'drive', 'neutral', 'park' and 'reverse', the revised instrument cluster that gains read-outs for battery status, power consumption and driving range, as well as the addition of an electric park brake.

Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's CEO said: "By 2015, annual global sales of electric vehicles are expected to reach 500,000 units and Saab is determined to be represented in this important, growing segment."

"The 9-3 ePower programme is our first step towards developing a potential production vehicle that will deliver the sort of advanced performance our customers expect."

The 9-3 ePower is the result of a co-operation between Saab Automobile, Boston Power (batteries), Electroengine in Sweden AB (electric power trains), Innovatum (project management) and Power Circle (Sweden's electric power industry trade organization).