The curious case of the Koenigsegg NLV Solar Quant
June 25, 2009 in Archive
This is another long post – please be patient – there’s music at the end!!
It’s also one of those strange posts. I’ve actually had quite a difficult time putting it together, figuring out exactly what line to take.
On one hand, there’s a troublesome report about the NLV Quant and the owner/founder/muse behind NLV – and on the other hand, there’s the unknown possibility of the car actually being viable.
And quite aside from all that, there’s the downright curious and fascinatingly grooooooooovy.
What it all adds up to is yet another call for someone from the Koenigsegg Group to stand up and talk about their resources and plans.
——
The troublesome report
The troublesome report comes from a Swiss journal called WOZ, which I’m told is a reliable publication with a slightly left-wing tilt to it. This story certainly seems to be well researched and written and poses some serious questions, especially if the development of the Quant is a pillar of Koenigsegg’s bid and application for EIB loans (though personally, I think it’s Koenigsegg’s relationship with Cargine that’s more relevant in this context).
The report in written in German, so you can do a Googletrans yourself, read the original or just peruse my summary points, below.
One thing I should fill you in on, right from the beginning, is that the NLV in the company name NLV Solar AG, stands for Dr. Nunzio La Vecchia (the “Dr” title is written in the article, though I don’t see it on the NLV Solar website or his personal site. It is used on a site from another of his businesses: Juno Technology Products).
The report claims…..
- The Quant plan was a considerable part of Koenigsegg getting the nod to purchase Saab. Part of K-Segg’s appeal was their capacity to innovate and bring new environmental technologies, which the author takes as referring to the Quant.
- That La Vecchia claims a PhD, though he refuses to disclose where he obtained it.
- He’s 44, of Italian immigrant descent and quite loaded with money (more below).
One of the most curious bits, if I’m translating this correctly, is that whilst all his technology stuff appears quite brilliant, and whilst he’s got the house(s) and car(s) that display astute business acumen – no-one in scientific circles there seems to recognise him or give his theories credence. Again, this is my interpretation of an internet translation, so I might be wrong there.
The dot points continue….
