Saab's Electric Vehicle
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Saab
19th September, 2010
- First, practical family estate with all-electric propulsion
- Projected all-electric driving range of 124 miles approx.
- Battery cells set benchmark for energy density
- User trials with 70-strong test fleet starting next year
Saab Automobile is taking its first step towards developing an all-electric vehicle with the Saab
9-3 ePower.
Making its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show next month, the Saab 9-3 ePower is the prototype
for a test fleet of 70 vehicles which will participate in extensive field trials in Sweden early next
year. This all-electric family estate represents an important step forward for Saab’s pursuit of
delivering cleaner and sustainable mobility solutions.
The performance of the cars will be evaluated under a variety of real-world driving conditions as
part of the development process for a purpose-built, electric Saab vehicle. Targets to be verified
include a projected driving range of approximately 200 kilometres through the use of high-density
energy storage in lithium-ion battery cells.
The Saab ePower is the first electric vehicle from Saab and is a 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
organisation).
Mid-sized SportWagon with zero emissions
The Saab 9-3 ePower is the first all-electric car to offer its occupants the comfort, size and
practicality of a SportWagon. Saab engineers have integrated an electrical architecture within the
shape and dimensions of a ‘conventional’ 9-3 SportWagon.
Under the bonnet is a 184 hp electric motor driving the front wheels through a single-speed
transmission. Instant torque enables zero to 100 km/h acceleration in just 8.5 seconds.
The compact yet powerful 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is accommodated in a modified floor-pan,
in a space occupied by the exhaust system and fuel tank on the standard 9-3 SportWagon. This allows
for optimum weight distribution and excellent driving dynamics similar to those of a standard
9-3 SportWagon.
Inside the cabin, a conventional, automatic-style gearshift lever provides selection of ‘drive’,
‘neutral’, ‘park’ and ‘reverse’. The rev-counter, fuel and turbo-boost displays in the main instrument
cluster are replaced by read-outs for battery status, power consumption and driving range, all
illuminated in green. To optimise space, an electric park brake is fitted.
Electro-hydraulic power steering is used and the cabin is equipped with full air- conditioning, via
a compressor powered by the battery pack. A separate 12-volt battery, for the lights and cabin
ancillaries, is also charged from the battery pack via a current transformer
The operation of the vehicle’s powertrain is controlled by a version of Saab’s own in-house Trionic
8 engine management system, with new software written for an electric vehicle application.
Long driving range with excellent durability
The Saab 9-3 ePower’s projected driving range of approximately 124 miles pushes out the boundaries
for current EV performance. Key to its long range are battery cells which have an energy storage
density substantially greater than the best currently used in EV applications. High energy density
also contributes to a lower battery weight.
The battery pack has a capacity of 35.5 kW/h and is designed to operate with full power in ambient
temperatures as low as -30ºC, at least 10ºC below the operating level of other battery packs on the
market today. Another key benefit is the use of air, instead of liquid, cooling which contributes to
lower cost and further weight-saving in the pack’s design.
The pack is intended to support re-charge cycles equivalent to 10 years average use. It can be
fully recharged from a domestic mains supply in three to six hours, depending on depletion status.
Charging times can be greatly reduced if the voltage of the electrical feed is raised, as there is no
limitation on the battery’s input capacity.
Test driving experience is expected to validate the performance of this advanced battery pack,
which is designed to operate reliably within a full depletion ‘buffer’ set at only 12 per cent of
total capacity, a much lower operating margin than used in the management of other packs.
Its lithium-ion battery cells are also the first to receive a Nordic Ecolabel accreditation for
their environmental safety and sustainability, which includes manufacturing processes.
The 9-3 ePower meets the high crash-worthiness standards that Saab applies to all its vehicles.
The car’s power pack is located outside the occupant compartment in non-deformable structural zones,
well protected and encapsulated. The battery management and monitoring system supports safe
performance during normal driving and in crash conditions.
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Self-Catering Holiday
Accommodation in
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Extensive user trials
Hundreds of drivers and their families will be enlisted by Saab and its development partners during
an extensive test driving and evaluation programme involving a 70-strong fleet of Saab 9-3 ePowers in
central, west and eastern Sweden during 2011-12.
The Saab ePower project team in Trollhättan will monitor the performance of the cars across a wide
variety of usage patterns and driving conditions. To log essential component data, all vehicles will be
equipped with aircraft-style, black box recorders.
“This programme is designed to evaluate the potential for developing a high-performance,
zero-emission electric vehicle and is an important next-step in the extension of our EcoPower propulsion
strategy,” says Mats Fägerhag, Executive Director, Vehicle Engineering at Saab Automobile.
“This includes engine rightsizing, which exploits Saab expertise in turbocharging, as well as the
use of alternative fuel, such as bio-ethanol through Saab BioPower technology.”
Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile’s CEO adds: “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. We now look forward to working with
our technical partners in developing such a product.”
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