Saab engineers develop secret NEVS Emily GT electric car project as IP rights go up for sale
Although Saab doesn’t make cars anymore, the company’s spirit is still alive and well. After going defunct in 2011, Saab’s automotive assets were sold to National Electric Vehicle Sweden. Under financial hardship, the company is now closing product development activities – however, not before a new secret electric sports car project called NEVS Emily GT was revealed.
How Saab became NEVS
The Saab story and how we got to the secret NEVS Emily GT project is just as interesting as the electric car itself.
For those who don’t know, Saab, a Swedish airplane manufacturer, began producing vehicles in 1949 and expanded to the US in 1956. The company found early success in the States, with sales peaking at over 47,000 in 1986.
However, after General Motors acquired Saab in 2000 after experiencing falling sales, the relationship didn’t last long. The 2008-2009 global financial crisis was the final nail in the coffin as GM attempted a last-minute sale to Koenigsegg, which ultimately fell through.
In 2010, Dutch automaker Spyker bought Saab, but it was too little, too late. Saab Automobile finally declared itself bankrupt in December 2011 after several months of struggling to stay afloat.
The following year, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) – a Swedish car maker with its own struggles that eventually came under the ownership of Chinese real estate giant Evergrande Group (yes, that Evergrande) in 2019 – bought Saab’s assets.
Evergrande, becoming the largest dollar-debt borrower among Chinese real estate companies, infamously sparked China’s worst property crisis after missing several repayments. The fallout has caused NEVS to close product development activities in April 2023. But not before a secret project was developed.
Saab engineers develop a secret electric car, NEVS Emily GT
Peter Daul, former Senior Saab Engineer and current NEVS program director, headed the secret electric car project.
Daul revealed the car on his LinkedIn, saying, “Finally we can reveal one of all the secret projects that NEVS has been working on.” In the post, he shared an article from Swedish Auto Motor & Sport, in which the publication claimed to be the first to publicly test drive the new electric car.
According to Carup, the NEVS Emily GT is powered by four 120-hp electric motors, one on each wheel, for 480 hp total. Meanwhile, an updated version is in the works with a total of 653 hp and 2,200 nm (1,622 lb-ft) of torque, enabling 0 to 60 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds.
In addition, a 175 kWh battery will allow the electric car can travel over 1,000 km (621 mi) on a full charge. However, the early prototypes are equipped with a 52 kWh battery taken from the Saab 9-3.
When the prototypes were first introduced, Evergrande and NEVS had the money to launch it, but the pandemic-induced crisis in 2020 derailed the mission.
Daul says it’s the most rewarding project he’s had the privilege of running, with a team of about 350 engineers and technicians developing it in the span of roughly ten months.
According to Daul, the IP rights for the NEVS Emily GT (not so) secret project are up for sale by the company.
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Mercedes-Benz introduced an all-in-one mobile EV charging machine, “ELF,” that promises to unlock charging speeds as quick as filling up at the pump.
Mercedes-Benz unveils the ELF mobile EV charging van
It may look like an electric van, but Mercedes-Benz claims ELF is much more than just any ordinary vehicle. It’s “a symbol of a bold new era in charging,” the luxury brand said on Thursday.
The nickname comes from the German term Experimental-Lade-Fahrzeug (ELF), which translates to Experimental Charging Vehicle.
The Mercedes-Benz ELF is an all-in-one mobile EV powerhouse that combines ultra-fast, bidirectional, inductive, and conductive charging. It’s based on the Mercedes V-Class people carrier and is equipped with five unique charging ports.
It will act as a rolling test lab, promising to unlock faster, more convenient, and sustainable electric vehicle charging.
The ELF features two fast charging systems: A standard Combined Charging System (CCS) and a heavy-duty Megawatt Charging System (MCS).
Mercedes is “testing the limits of CCS,” claiming the ELF can achieve a charging capacity of up to 900 kW, or enough to add 100 kWh in about 10 minutes. The MCS system, on the other hand, was initially developed for heavy-duty electric trucks, which Mercedes says unlocks charging capacities in the megawatt range.
The company is already using the all-in-one mobile EV charging rig to improve charging on its upcoming vehicles.
For example, the Concept AMG GT XX hit a peak charging power of 1,041 kW during megawatt charging after its record-breaking run in Nardò in August.
Mercedes collaborated with Alpitronic to develop a high-performance EV charging station capable of delivering up to 1,000 amps through a modified CCS commercial truck charger. The company is now using what it has learned to develop a new generation of ultra-fast chargers for use at Mercedes-Benz parks.
According to Mercedes, the new chargers will deliver speeds “that differ only minimally from the conventional refuelling process.”
The ELF is not only capable of absorbing electricity, but Mercedes-Benz is using it to its full potential with bidirectional charging capabilities.
Capable of both AC and DC bidirectional charging, the ELF can feed energy into your home (Vehicle-to-Home/ V2H), the grid (Vehicle-to-Grid/ V2G), or electric devices (Vehicle-to-Load/ V2L).
Mercedes said a typical vehicle battery with a capacity of 70-100 kWh can power an average single-family home for two to four days.
The new electric CLA and GLC with EQ Technology are the first Mercedes vehicles that offer bidirectional charging capabilities. In 2026, the automaker will launch its first services for bidirectional charging in Germany, France, and the UK. Other markets are set to follow shortly after.
In combination with intelligent energy management, Mercedes said electricity costs can be significantly reduced. Depending on energy use, homeowners can save about 500 euros ($580) per year.
Mercedes-Benz is also using the ELF to test other charging methods, including cable-free induction and automated conductive charging.
The learnings from the ELF will be key to unlocking faster, more convenient, and sustainable charging for upcoming Mercedes-Benz EV models.
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Shares of U.S. rare earth and critical mineral miners surged Thursday after China tightened restrictions on exports, fuelling market speculation that the Trump administration will move more aggressively to invest in building out a domestic supply chain.
Ramaco Resources soared 12%, Energy Fuels surged nearly 8%, USA Rare Earth jumped more than 7%, and MP Materials rallied more than 6%. Lithium Americas popped more than 4% and Trilogy Metals rose more than 6%.
Beijing is now requiring foreign entities to obtain a license to export products that contain more than 0.1% of domestically sourced rare earths, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce. Companies will also need export licenses if they use China’s extraction, refining or magnet recycling technology.
“The White House and relevant agencies are closely assessing any impact from the new rules, which were announced without any notice and imposed in an apparent effort to exert control over the entire world’s technology supply chains,” a White House official told CNBC.
China imposed the restrictions ahead of an expected meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Seoul, South Korea later this month. Rare earths have been a major point of contention in trade talks between Beijing and Washington.
‘Game of chicken’
The White House and the U.S. critical mineral industry have accused China of manipulating the market to drive foreign competition out of business. Rare earths are a subset of critical minerals that are crucial inputs for U.S. weapons platforms, robotics, electric vehicles and electronics among other applications.
The Trump administration has taken equity stakes in MP Materials, Lithium Americas and Trilogy Metals this year as it seeks to stand up a domestic supply chain against China.
USA Rare Earth and Energy Fuels have not struck deals with the White House, but their CEOs told CNBC that they are in close contact with the Trump administration.
“It’s going to take a lot of players to build out this marketplace,” USA Rare Earth CEO Barbara Humpton told CNBC on Oct. 2.
China’s export restrictions “help to ensure a strong position for Xi to sit down with Trump” on the sidlines of the summit in South Korea, Evercore ISI analyst Neo Wang told clients in a Thursday note.
“Although both Beijing and Washington learnt the lesson the hard way in their last exchange of export controls back in [April] and May, China’s stronger pain endurance rooted in its political system adds to the credibility of its threats in a game of chicken,” Wang wrote.
Move over, e-bikes – there’s a new way to get a power boost for cruising around town, and this one straps right to your legs. The Hypershell X Ultra is a high-tech wearable exoskeleton that delivers up to 1,000 watts of electric assist to your stride, giving “powered walking” the same kind of jolt that e-bikes gave to cycling.
The company behind it, Shanghai-based Hypershell, says the X Ultra is its most advanced performance exoskeleton yet, designed for hikers, runners, climbers, and even skiers who want to go farther and faster without wearing out their legs.
The new model uses a 1,000W “M-One Ultra” motor, around 25% more powerful than before, along with upgraded thermal management and improved energy efficiency. To put that in perspective, the US limits street-legal e-bikes to 750 watts of power, while the EU caps them at just 250 watts. That means this wearable device technically delivers more power to your legs than most legal e-bikes deliver to their wheels.
According to Hypershell, the X Ultra can reduce muscle load on the hips by up to 63%, lower heart rate by as much as 42% while cycling, and even cut oxygen consumption by nearly 40%. The system intelligently adapts to your movement using AI-powered gait mapping and offers 12 activity modes, including new ones for running, snow, and sand, that automatically adjust power delivery depending on terrain and intensity.
Despite all the electronics, it’s surprisingly lightweight. The X Ultra uses titanium alloy and carbon fiber construction to keep the system at just 1.8 kg (4 lb), plus a 410 g (0.9 lb) battery pack. That 72Wh battery claims to deliver up to 65 km (40 miles) of assist when cycling or 30 km (18 miles) when walking, and the system can even regenerate energy on downhills for up to 10% extra range.
With a top speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph), the $1,999 X Ultra is pricey, but could early adopters help it still kick off a new category of electric mobility where people are the vehicle? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
via: Newatlas
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