This success in Europe is driven by the immense popularity of Saab BioPower in Saab’s home market of Sweden. In 2006, Saab sold some 11,000 BioPower cars in Sweden, whilst 6,800 9-3 and 9-5 BioPower models were delivered to Swedish customers in the first five months of 2007. This sales pace was maintained in June, when the newly-launched Saab 9-3 BioPower range came top of the Swedish environmentally-friendly sales charts, giving Saab an impressive 38 per cent market share in that segment.

“There is huge international interest in what is happening in Sweden regarding the technology and infrastructure for use of bioethanol,” says Jan Ake Jonsson, Managing Director of Saab Automobile. “Countries such as Norway, Ireland and France are following Sweden’s example by investing in a bioethanol infrastructure. Everyday we receive requests for more information regarding our environmental efforts.”

In the UK, meanwhile, Saab, and a growing number of other companies and associations, continue to call on the UK government to show its commitment to environmentally-friendly motoring by putting more measures in place to encourage both the supply of bioethanol E85 and the sales of flex-fuel cars. 

Saab is firmly established as a technology leader in realising the full potential of bioethanol E85 as a fuel. This expertise leverages Saab’s unrivalled experience in turbocharging, making it possible to deliver enhanced performance as well as greatly reduced fossil CO₂ emissions – an achievement that no other environmentally-friendly vehicle in the world has thus far been able to match.

Saab will continue its R&D efforts to bring new products and solutions to the market that focus on both high performance and energy saving, as seen, for example, with the Saab BioPower Hybrid Concept premiered at the Stockholm Motor Show last year.