Saab sold to Chinese-Swedish investment group
Bankrupt carmaker Saab has been sold to a Chinese-Swedish investment group which aims to turn the company into a maker of electric vehicles.
Saab’s administrator said the buyer was National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs). No sale price was given.
Saab went bankrupt in December, two years after former owner General Motors sold it to Dutch group Spyker.
Saab “will start a new operation” to develop and produce electric cars, the administrator said in a statement.
The administrator said in April that Saab had assets to cover about a third of its debts of 13bn kronor (£1.2bn).
The chief executive and main owner of Nevs is a Chinese businessman with Swedish citizenship, Kai Johan Jiang.
The chairman of Nevs is Karl-Erling Trogen, a former head of the truck division of truck and construction equipment maker Volvo.
“Nevs and the receivers of the Saab Automobile bankruptcy estate today signed a purchase agreement which covers the main assets of Saab Automobile AB, Saab Automobile Powertrain AB and Saab Automobile Tools AB,” Nevs and the administrators said in a joint statement.
Saab employs about 3,000 people, with its main base at Trollhattan, west Sweden, where investment in new electric car manufacturing will be made.
GM bought a 50% stake and management control of Saab in 1989, and gained full ownership in 2000.
The Swedish company’s car sales peaked at 133,000 cars in 2006. After that, sales dwindled to 93,000 cars in 2008 and just 27,000 in 2009.
GM itself sought bankruptcy protection as the global financial crisis unfolded, forcing the US company to dispose of assets.
In 2010, Saab’s larger rival carmaker, Volvo, was bought by China’s Geely Automobile Holdings.
NEVS: 51% by Chinese, 49% by Japanese.
Press-conference 2012.06.13
It’s not just about money and technology, its about a vision and sustainability.
NEVS is the buyer of SAAB, who wants to combine Saab in three basis:
1. Swedish know-how, design, technology and production facility which is a world-leading class
2. Add cutting-edge technology from Japan in form of know-how, design and technology
3. The great connections with China
The first region Saab will focus on, is China. China is right now focusing more money on electric cars than any other place in the world. Obama has promised one million electric cars by 2015.
Karl Johan Jiang, main owner of NEVS moved to Sweden 23 years ago and the first thing struck him was the huge contrasts. Back then China was all about industry but in Sweden the focus was on economic growth friendly to the environment. Since then he decided to focus on eco-friendly growth.
He started working with bio-mass technology. By 2006 the first plant was started in China, today he runs 28 with 9 more currently being built.
First product for Saab will be a developed 9-3 Electric Car. The 2n’d will be a new generation 9-3 built upon the phoenix platform combined with cutting-edge japanese technology.
State-gird and China wants a car that can be charged with green electricity. The main source for the bio-mass production in China is Straw grown by farmers. Today Karl Johans company has contributed with more than billion USD to the farmers who are now growing straw used as bio-mass-energy.
Karl Johan Jiang wants to combine cutting edge car technology with electric engines powered by green electricity in a future that is sustainable.
Mattias Bergman
Long-term financing is in place and no approvals needed from either Japan nor China is required to implement the finance-plan. A number of Japanese companies are behind this deal.
NEVS has bought the IP rights to the 9-3 but not the 9-4x nor 9-5.
First product will be launched in 2013-2014.
Now they will start recruiting and making good connections with current and new suppliers who are important.
The future cars will be built in Trollhättan, in a facility which is in top-class. The aim is to develop an attractive car that market will have a demand for.
Recruitment for management has already started. Chinese and Japanese teams are en-route to Trollhättan. Local consult companies will be a close part of the process.
A big priority is of course to establish good business-contacts. China is the key to future sustainable cars and its focus on shifting away from fossil fuels is key factor to their plans to buy Saab.
http://www.saabsunited.com/2012/06/the-press-conference-continuous-updating.html
Karl Johan Jiang
According to Auto News Europe (16/1/30):
“……..Saab AB withdrew NEVS’ right to use the Saab name two years ago after NEVS sought protection from creditors. NEVS was never granted the use of the Saab AB’s iconic griffin badge and developed its own Saab logo.”
But NEVS website nicely points out that:
“….traits are what define the brand, not the trademark itself, and so they are also the building blocks of NEVS.”
产品与开发规划概况
NEVS本次收购的萨博资产范围包括:萨博汽车公司(Saab Automobile AB)、萨博汽车动力总成公司(Saab Automobile Powertrain AB)和萨博汽车工具公司(Saab Automobile Tools AB)。NEVS收购了萨博9-3(不含发动机)和凤凰平台的100%知识产权,拥有萨博汽车的工厂设施与建筑,但不包括萨博9-5和9-4X的知识产权。
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青年出局:中日电动车联盟已正式收购萨博
瑞典当地时间6月10日晚上8点,萨博总部所在地特罗尔海坦市,蒋大龙和他的团队还在紧张的加班准备第二天谈判。
蒋是香港国能生物发电集团董事长,正是近期传出参与收购瑞典萨博汽车的中日电动车联盟的发起者。6月12日下午5点半(北京时间),蒋通过电话告诉本报记者:“我们已经正式把它(萨博汽车)买下来了。” 但蒋并没有透露相关细节。
外电报道证实了蒋的说法,根据INAUTONEWS 6月12日的最新消息,萨博完整出售了,它的新东家是瑞典国家电动汽车公司,也就是中日电动车联盟。
浙江青年汽车在进行了一年多若即若离的艰难谈判后,在收购萨博的竞争中完全败北。后来者蒋大龙所主导的团队,在迅速赢得了萨博利益各方的认可后,闪电收购了萨博汽车。
蒋大龙在国内传播得最广的身份是,国能生物发电集团董事长、总裁。从事的业务是从生物质能综合开发利用,即利用玉米秸秆等生物质进行发电,“通俗地说也可以解释为用秸秆烧水发电”。
他目前是中日电动车联盟进行收购瑞典萨博汽车的主导者,为此次收购,他们设立了瑞典国家电动车公司NEVS(National Electric Vehicle Sweden)。来自瑞典的消息称,NEVS已成功收购萨博汽车,但收购的资产不包括萨博零部件公司,而是萨博整车、萨博动力总成和萨博工具公司。收购价格为15亿-18亿元瑞典克朗。
据蒋大龙透露,北京时间6月12日上午的谈判中出现一些小变故,“今天当地的媒体已经有一些报道,但不是很准确,明天我们会有一个新闻发布会。具体何时签的约,现在还不能透露”。
蒋大龙其人
早在收购还未完成时,NEVS和浙江青年汽车两家竞争公司已经打起了口水战。NEVS宣称收购已经成功,而后者则出示证据,称青年汽车是中国唯一的获批收购者。
6月8日,青年汽车提供了资金证明,证明有此前报出46亿元瑞典克朗的支付能力;其外还提供了中国发改委支持的函件,证明青年是中国政府允许的唯一参与萨博竞购的中国企业,其他中国企业或个人都无权参与。
而NEVS针锋相对,通过媒体报道指出,其母公司国能生物发电集团在香港注册,总部位于英属维京群岛,因此中国国家发改委不会直接影响该交易。从可以查询到的中文信息上,来自该公司的介绍显示“是一家外资民营企业”。
事实上,国能生物发电集团成立于2005年,由龙基电力集团持股75%和国网新源公司持股25%组建,国网新源公司是国家电网的控股公司。而龙基电力集团由龙基电力科技公司全资控股,龙基电力科技公司至少两个大股东,分别为中国兆龙恒基控股有限公司和花旗银行,前者创始人为蒋大龙,花旗银行看中蒋的生物发电前景,投资1.5亿美元入股,获得12%的股份。
中日电动车联盟还有多家企业是其成员,主体除了国能生物发电集团外,还有日本的风投公司阳光投资,此外至少还有一家中国汽车企业、一家电池公司和一家电器企业,此前参与竞购的印度公司马恒达也可能吸纳进入了收购团体中。
蒋大龙与瑞典颇有渊源,这也是其对收购萨博汽车感兴趣的原因。公开资料显示,蒋大龙早年在中国人民银行、工商银行工作,其后到瑞典学习企业管理,并与汽车结缘,出任沃尔沃卡车高级顾问,直到2003年前后蒋回国创建生物发电企业。
其在瑞典多年的生活积累了丰富的人脉等各种资源,2006年9月,国能电力集团公司与国能生物发电集团公司、HMAB和海热达林市政府合资成立了国能瑞典生物能源有限公司,在瑞典开展生物发电业务。
萨博今后主打电动车
在早前发投标书时,瑞典方面给收购者设定的条件是:必须提供萨博未来重建计划。
中日电动车联盟的计划是,以发展纯电动汽车为未来主营业务,第一步是重启已经停止的萨博9-3 ePower工程,开发纯电动汽车,稍后也有可能引入日本小型电动车在萨博工厂生产。第二步是基于凤凰平台开发下一代萨博9-3车型。
根据萨博破产清算后的数据显示,目前萨博总债务为130亿瑞典克朗(约120.27亿元人民币),而总资产仅约36亿瑞典克朗(约33.31亿元人民币)。青年汽车瑞典发言人约翰·尼伦此前表示,估计重新恢复萨博生产需要100亿瑞典克朗。并且在未来五年内青年汽车将向萨博汽车投资200亿瑞典克朗。
中日电动车联盟计划主营业务为电动车,因为技术的复杂性和重新启动项目,萨博重建意味着高于该预算数倍的投入。
蒋大龙从2002年离开沃尔沃,转投国内的生物发电,近10年的时间建成了27家生物发电厂,有9家在建。但其坦言并没有赚到钱,这个具有美好前景的行业,目前仍旧面临种种束缚,“生物发电厂的回收周期较长,有的需要10年左右”。
近乎白手起家的蒋大龙因为具有金融从业背景,在生物发电产业上投入了几十亿,很大程度上源于善于利用银行关系。“我们有20%投到电厂,剩下80%贷款。总的来说银行非常愿意给我们企业贷款。”他说。收购萨博和重建萨博的资金量,明显需要蒋玩转一个更大的魔术。
进军汽车产业,中日电动车联盟和蒋大龙都没有令人足够信任的行业背景。对于质疑,蒋心知肚明,他说:“为什么要收购它,我们有自己的考虑,更多信息会稍后公布。”
http://auto.sina.com.cn/car/2012-06-13/0731985916.shtml