The NEVS Emily GT, a stillborn electrical sedan developed by former Saab engineers and powered by in-wheel motors, could have a future due to EV Electra, an EV startup based in Lebanon and at the moment primarily based in Canada.

EV Electra CEO and founder Jihad Mohammad took to social media final week to announce his firm’s acquisition of the rights to the NEVS Emily GT, in addition to the NEVS Pons robotaxi idea.

NEVS is the Chinese language-backed Swedish EV startup that famously tried to save lots of Saab after it went bankrupt in 2011. After failing in that effort, NEVS tried to make use of its personal title for a model of EVs packing the most recent expertise and developed by lots of the identical folks that labored at Saab.

A type of EVs was a big sedan code-named the Emily GT. Improvement began in 2019 and was accomplished in solely 10 months, although NEVS solely revealed the sedan in early 2023, shortly after the corporate introduced it was shutting down and searching for patrons for its property.

NEVS Emily GT prototype – Picture credit score: Plint/Protean

The Emily GT was by no means meant for manufacturing. Its function was as a demonstrator for in-wheel electrical motor expertise from Protean, a British EV expertise firm acquired by NEVS in 2019.

One of many folks that labored on the automobile was Simon Padien, a former Saab designer who was a part of the group that labored on the final Saab 9-5, which can clarify why the Emily GT with its boxy greenhouse seems to be prefer it could possibly be a non secular successor to the 9-5.

No specs have been launched by NEVS, nevertheless it’s thought the Emily GT can assist a battery as large as 175 kwh. Every of its 4 Protean in-wheel motors is regarded as rated at 120 hp, which might imply a mixed output of round 480 hp.

NEVS Emily GT

Additional improvement of the Emily GT stopped in 2021 when NEVS father or mother firm Evergrande Group bumped into monetary hassle, linked primarily to its actual property enterprise in China.

EV Electra has stated it plans to start out manufacturing of EVs in Turkey however hasn’t talked about any particular fashions. The corporate’s CEO has additionally stated he needs to construct automobiles in Trollhättan, the place the previous Saab plant is situated, and the place the Emily GT was developed.

EV Electra hasn’t stated how a lot it paid for NEVS’s property. The identical firm in 2021 introduced it paid $500 million for a majority stake in Detroit Electrical, a Chinese language-backed startup that introduced plans for three automobiles in 2017 however has since fallen off the radar.