New Coalition Debuts to Deliver High Performance Electric Vehicles

Posted on 15. Dec, 2009 by Ryan in 2000-2009

This just in as expected in a press release today about the five organization consortium. The press conference at Innovatum took place at 6:30am EST/12:30pm in Sweden.

Media Advisory

New Coalition Debuts to Deliver High Performance Electric Vehicles

Trollhättan, Sweden /December 15, 2009 – A Swedish industry-first electric automobile coalition has been established to fuel the advancement of zero-emission, high performance vehicles.

Funded by $86 million SEK (approximately $12 million U.S.) from a Swedish Energy Agency grant announced on December 10, 2009, the coalition includes companies from the automotive manufacturing, battery and electric power train sectors.

Initial demonstration models of the vehicle — named the ZE Saab 9-3 (ZE for zero emissions) – are already receiving positive reviews. The group plans to build more than 100 additional cars in 2010.

Participating organizations are:

* Saab Automobile AB (automotive engineering and manufacturing)

* Boston-Power, Inc. (lithium-ion batteries

* Electroengine in Sweden AB (electric power trains)

* Innovatum (project management)

* Power Circle (Sweden’s electric power industry trade organization)

The electrification of transportation represents one of the most significant shifts since the invention of the automobile. The collation brings together internationally recognized experts, products and technologies to foster this transition.

For more information or to schedule an interview with the companies involved in the coalition, please contact the following individuals:

For Innovatum: Tore Helmersson +46 730 915 100, tore.helmersson@innovatum.se

For Boston-Power: Chris Carleton, +1 781 672 3115, ccarleton@chenpr.com

For Power Circle: Christer Asplund, +46 707 822 650, c.asplund@placeinvest.se

For Electroengine in Sweden AB: Thomas Bergfjord, +46 707 999 701, thomas.bergfjord@electroengine.se

For Saab Automobile: Gunilla Gustavs, +46 520 279 797, gunilla.gustavs@saab.com

Innovatum Technology Park is a development centre in the west of Sweden, packed with research projects and inspirational activities. We consist of a science centre, a project arena and an incubator. Innovatum Technology Park wants to inspire new thinking and our point of departure is that the very best way to generate learning and new knowledge is when people cooperate. We are therefore concentrating on arenas with resources which stimulate and utilize precisely this.

Saab Automobile is a global premium brand, reflecting a unique Scandinavian design ethic, fused with a strong aircraft engineering heritage. Saab was founded in Sweden in 1937 as Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company), revealing the prototype for its first aircraft-inspired passenger car in 1947. Saab has a strong history of innovation and is recognised for pioneering turbo charging as well as safety and flex-fuel technology. The Saab Automobile’s headquarters and world class producTrtion facility are located in Trollhättan, Sweden. Saab Automobile AB employs 3500 in Sweden. Saab is recognised as the premium car manufacturer for independent-minded drivers.

Boston-Power, Inc. is an award-winning provider of next-generation lithium-ion battery technology. Designed to fuel a wide range of applications, its flagship offering, Sonata, serves as the foundation for HP’s new brand of longer lasting notebook batteries that also help the environment – the HP Long Life Battery. The company’s Swing product delivers unmatched capabilities for Plug-In Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles (PHEV/BEV), as well as the emerging utility energy storage market. Founded in 2005 and with more than 100 patents filed, Boston-Power is led by Founder and CEO Dr. Christina Lampe-Önnerud, an internationally recognized innovator, entrepreneur and technology advisor with regard to portable power, energy storage and climate change. To date, the company has raised $125 million in venture funding from Foundation Asset Management, Oak Investment Partners, Venrock, GGV Capital and Gabriel Venture Partners. Boston-Power is headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, and has Six Sigma-level mass manufacturing operations in Asia.

Electroengine develops and markets system products and solutions for the next generation electric power trains based on CEO Thomas Bergfjord’s, innovations. Electroengine is supported by the Uppsala Innovation Centre and Almi corporate partners in Uppsala.

Power Circle ‘s objective is to work towards electric power technology to be strengthened and having the industry support a positive sustainable community of development. Together with our members we achieve this through attracting investment capital, stimulating power technology projects and working towards increasing the attractiveness of engineering and technology based education.

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Tags: Boston-Power Inc., Electroengine, Foundation Asset Management, Gabriel Venture Partners, GGV Capital, HP, Saab Automobile AB, Sweden AB, Swedish Aircraft Company, Venrock