9-3 ePower (Sweden, 2010)

Saab presented the 9-3 ePower at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, it marks the brands first step toward the development of all-electric vehicles.

The Saab ePower is the first all-electric offered in the wagon bodystyle and it is based on a conventional 9-3 SportCombi. It is powered by a 184 hp electric motor driving the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. Thanks to the instant torque the Saab ePower is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and to reach a top speed of 150 km/h. The electric engine receives is energy from a compact 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery which is located in a modified floor-pan, mainly in space within the car’s wheelbase previously occupied by the exhaust system and fuel tank. Expected to support re-charge cycles equivalent to about ten years average use, the battery pack can be fully recharged from a domestic mains supply in about three to six hours, depending on depletion status. The Swedish brand plans to achieve a projected driving range of approximately 200 kilometers through the use of high density energy storage in lithium-ion battery cells.

The Saab 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).