Reduction of workers at Saab Cars in Trollhättan

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This news does not come as a surprise knowing the current financial trouble the company is in. Last week the contracts with 100 consultants ended and today 72 workers with limited contracts where given notice that the contracts will not be prolonged. 53 blue-collar and 19 white-collar works will end their work with Saab cars this summer. The consultants are all part of the technological development. This is a dangerous path to go since what Saab needs now is getting the Phoenix platform up and running. The future of the company. Our source on the reduction of works is from Mikael Östlund, Communications manager at Saab Cars.

41 thoughts on “Reduction of workers at Saab Cars in Trollhättan”

  2. guessing KJJ has put everything on hold until cash flow can be resolved or KJJ has seen the pictures of the interior of the upcoming XC90 and finally worked out the the current 9-3 is not a viable option to pursue…

    • I just picked up a 9-3 at SAAB Cars and drove it down to my home country. It’s a very pleasant car to drive. I don’t understand why people are so reluctant to buy that car and consider it to be obsolete. It for sure lacks some of the latest and mainly unnecessary gimmicks, but it does very well for what a car is meant, it drives! I don’t need more!
      I can only say that I don’t regret my buy.
      I just hope that the SAAB story will not end here and now. I would be a very sad thing for all the people working there.

  4. Reducing personal working in technological development means one of the following two things:
    a) They are about to give up
    b) They are counting with the resources of the supposed OEM partner.
    One thing is certain, though. Reducing 72 workers when they were producing 6 cars per day means that the 9-3 with petrol engine is gone for good.

    • If this ends up as all they ever make, then those cars produced by NEVS had a cost basis of about $1million each.

      scary !

        • Just like all the happy owners of the 9-5 NG divide the development cost on a mere 11000 units. That is pure luxury to have a unique car with so much technology with so few owners.

          • Exactly Trued. Unfortunately too few buyers, even on this site, attach enough value to what you describe. They like those features, but are not willing to pay for them. Too many SAAB fans like the idea that they have a unique product, but expect it to be produced and sold for a price based on a more common (i.e higher production volume) car.

            • 3cyl. You nailed the question here. A lot of fans but they are not enough fans to get a brand new or near brand new Saab car. There is no way one can save a car company by NOT buying their products. No buyers is equal to close down. Let us hope Saab Cars can launch a worldwide “Phoenix” based car soon, I hear that there is something BIG going on at the plant but my informant could not say anything due to signed confidentiality agreements.

    • Well, or at least they are preparing for it. OTOH, if there is some ownership changes in the works, four weeks seemed a little optimistic in the first place, and buying as much time as possible may just be trying to play it safe.

      If it’s about Qingbo failing contractual obligations, there may not be a choice but to halt for now, and use the legal system to settle it. Let’s hope it’s not coming to that.

    • That four weeks is followed by midsummer and the start of 4 to 6 weeks of Swedish holiday season. Easy to figure the stoppage will continue over summer as there probably are no new customers flocking to buy a 9-3 right now.

      • Plus, where can these customers flock from? The cars aren’t being sold in markets that used to be pivotal—-the owner made the call not to re-enter those markets.

  6. If I remember correctly it was mentioned in the NEVS press release when they were forced to stop production.

    Surely not a good news.

    Unless Mahindra steps in with some sort of serious financial investment, mirroring what Tata has done with Jaguar, the future is bleak…..

    • Go to Mahindra’s Facebook pages and push for them to get involved with acquiring Saab. Go to Mahindra’s corporate website and do the same. Let’s get a massive campaign going to nudge Mahindra in the direction of saving Saab, one more time. I don’t think I ever wrote that NEVS was Saab’s last chance—-because I didn’t see a solid chance with their electric business plan or the way they were handling their stewardship of Saab. Calling it a “last chance” would acknowledge that there WAS such a chance. And there really wasn’t, not in a practical sense, anyway. No, I view Mahindra as Saab’s REAL last chance. Let’s show Mahindra that there is a community of believers still in play. And hey, if someone else that I’m unaware of is already negotiating for Saab—-that’s fine and we’ll evaluate them later. But for the time being, I think Mahindra is the best last chance—-no harm done if we let them know people are still interested in the brand.

  9. Employment could be strong in that factory at this point. There could be job fairs and hiring instead of pink slips. I would love hearings—-an investigation—-into the process by which these bankruptcy receivers made this call. I’d love to be on the committee to question them at how they arrived at this decision—-and would ask harder questions than the Swedish press might.

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