EV Electra CEO said they will use the Italian factory to build electric cars that will “shock everyone.”
April 26, 2024 at 12:23 p.m
- EV Electra, the company that acquired NEVS at the end of 2023, has bought a car factory in Italy.
- CEO Jihad M. Mohammad did not say which models will be built at the site.
- Last year, NEVS introduced the Emily GT, an electric sedan developed by former Saab engineers.
The CEO of EV Electra, the Canadian startup that acquired NEVS late last year and obtained the rights to the Emily GT designed by a group of former Saab engineers, recently entered into a deal to purchase an automobile production facility in Italy with the intention of purchasing it to build these electric vehicles.
Jihad M. Mohammad saved NEVS from the brink last year, and confirmation that his startup EV Electra was buying a factory in Italy immediately sparked speculation that the location could be home to future NEVS models. However, Mohammad recently criticized this idea on LinkedIn, saying he has not spoken to anyone in the media about where NEVS vehicles are built.
Read: NEVS Emily GT rescued by Canadian startup, could be produced in Sweden
“Yes, we made an offer to buy a car factory in Italy and yesterday it was finally approved (not the Maserati factory) and in this new location we will build electric cars that will shock everyone,” he wrote.
“We have more than [a] Now there are only a few models left, after several acquisitions a year [the] over the last two months, and there’s another one happening this week that will allow us to stay at the top of our game. I promised my team not to reveal any further details because our investors need to know before anyone else. Then an official press release will clarify all issues,” Mohammad added.
If EV Electra has no intention of producing NEVS models in Italy, the company could use the location to build new electric cars under its own brand. One of the planned models, called Nostrum, takes the form of a sleek two-door sports car, which Mohammad said will start hitting customers’ hands in August.
In a separate Linkedin post, Mohammad added that EV Electra is looking for partners and that former Saab dealers will have priority in selling the brand’s models.
Since purchasing NEVS last year, EV Electra has explored the possibility of producing vehicles in Turkey or Sweden, but those plans appear to have fallen through. Four variants of the NEVS Emily GT were also previewed, namely a coupe, a convertible, a sedan and a station wagon, but it is unknown which of these might be built first.
The NEVS Emily GT was developed as an electric sedan by a group of former Saab engineers and bears a strong resemblance to the last Saab 9-5. It is powered by four wheel-integrated electric motors, which together produce 484 hp and enable acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. With a huge 175 kWh battery pack, it achieves a maximum range of 620 miles (1,000 kilometers). Additionally, reports suggest that a more powerful version with over 650 horsepower was also planned.
The company describes EV Electra as a division of “Jihad Mohammad Investment” that will develop into an “independent entity based in Lebanon with offices in Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Italy and Norway, seeking a global presence.” However, on the same About the site LinkedIn also states that its headquarters are in Canada.
