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Saietta speeds plans by buying e-Traction from Evergrande

12 November, 2021

The UK motor manufacturer Saietta has bought the Netherlands-based drivetrain developer e-Traction from Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (NEVG), which is owned by the troubled Chinese property giant Evergrande. This is the second UK acquisition of part of NEVG, following Bedeo’s purchase of the in-wheel motor pioneer Protean Electric earlier this month.

According to a Reuters report, the new deal is worth up to €2m, and Evergrande has waived around €21.1m in loans that it had made to e-Traction.

e-Traction, founded in 1981, specialises in electric drivetrains for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and buses, as well as designing and manufacturing high-voltage power electronics, including inverters and control systems.

“This acquisition will allow Saietta to accelerate its business plan by several years, adding not just commercial and technical capability but also extending our IP portfolio and acquiring an operational power electronics production facility,” says Saietta’s CEO, Wicher Kist.

The acquisition will advance the development and commercial deployment of Saietta’s own high-voltage axial flux motor technology, and add product variants to its portfolio. The addition of e-Traction’s e-axle technology, in particular, complements work already done by Saietta on its AFT 190 motors. As a complete e-powertrain package, it extends Saietta’s application range from scooters through to buses and will help to bring affordable electric propulsion to places suffering from chronic air pollution – one of the company’s founding business goals.

All current e-Traction employees will join Saietta. The Netherlands-based employees will remain at the company’s r&d and workshop facilities in Apeldoorn.

e-Traction’s in-wheel drive system, TheMotion 2.0, integrates a motor with a high-voltage drive and software

“The entire team at e-Traction has over 10 years of successful experience in the design, manufacture, sale and supply of complete e-axle and electric drivetrain systems with millions of kilometres of real-world in-service road miles and established power electronics competence and manufacturing capability,” says Kist. “We are delighted to welcome them to Saietta, in order to both accelerate the current roll-out of Saietta AFT into high-voltage products and also to access the wider and lucrative commercial and HGV markets.”

Edgar Ooijman, e-Traction’s chief commercial officer, says that “by being part of the Saietta Group, e-Traction has found the strategic partner we were looking for. We’re both fully dedicated to electric motors and drivetrains in the mobility sector and have complementary skills. I’m excited to connect our high level of experience in e-axle and high voltage components to the strategy of Saietta. It’s a good fit and will boost our combined presence in multiple market segments.”

Saietta Group:  Twitter  LinkedIn

e-TractionTwitter  LinkedIn




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