As it turns out, Saab Automobile’s new owner, Chinese-Japanese consortium National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS), has not yet secured the rights to use the Saab brand name and logo on the new electric models it is planning to build.
The brand name and the griffin logo collectively belong to carmaker Saab Auto, aerospace and defense company Saab AB and truck manufacturer Scania AB. The three companies used to be a single entity before they broke up.
A report from the Detroit News says that NEVS is working together with the Swedish bankruptcy administrators to negotiate with Saab AB and Scania AB over the name as the two companies must approve the transfer.
“The brand name discussion isn’t over,” Erik Ljungberg, Scania’s spokesman, told the news site. “It’s a complex issue and several questions must be sorted out. We’re very keen that the griffin brand isn’t used for anything we can’t stand behind.”
Saab AB spokesperson Erik Magni also raised concerns about the use of the name by NEVS.
“Even though their formal name is Saab Automobile, they’re generally called Saab, so there’s a clear risk a lot of people may confuse them with us,” he said.
“We want a long-term solution for the brand name where we share the same view on how it should develop to make sure it’s associated with engineering, high competence,” he added.
NEVS has said that it plans to develop a new pure electric model based on the current Saab 9-3 and put it on sale by the end of 2013 or early 2014, while it will also work on a second EV.
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