Saab chooses UQM motors for its 9-3 ePower EV, will be carving Alp twisties soon

Saab announced it was working on an all-electric version of its 9-3 wagon late last year, dubbing it the ePower. Now we’re learning what’s driving it. The vehicle will be powered by a 135kW UQM Technologies PowerPhase system, an equivalent of 181hp that will propel the car to 60 in 8.5 seconds — no Huayra but pretty peppy for an EV. Top speed is 93mph and the car’s range is expected to be 200km, or about 125miles. Interestingly Saab is eschewing more advanced water-cooled battery tech, like that found in the Volt or Model S , and going for an air-cooled design, despite even the classic 93 of the ’50s being water cooled. The company has indicated this will cut costs and promises the battery will still operate at full power even when temperatures drop below -22F. We’ll find out soon, as early cars are set to hit Swiss roads sometime in the coming months. Continue reading Saab chooses UQM motors for its 9-3 ePower EV, will be carving Alp twisties soon Saab chooses UQM motors for its 9-3 ePower EV, will be carving Alp twisties soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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