Saab-Valmet

Valmet Automotive (formerly known as Saab-Valmet) is a Finnish vehicle contract manufacturer and supplier for the development and production of battery systems as well as a supplier for roof and kinematic systems.

In its development, the Valmet Automotive Group focuses on electromobility with the development and production of battery modules and complete battery packs for electrified vehicles. In addition to the vehicle plant in Uusikaupunki, the company operates battery plants in Salo and Uusikaupunki in Finland; a third battery plant in Kirchardt, Germany will go into operation in 2022. Valmet Automotive has sites in Finland, Germany and Poland. The largest shareholders in Valmet Automotive Group are the Finnish state investment company Tesi and Pontos Group, each with a 38.46 percent stake. 23.08 percent is held by China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL).

Expertise

Valmet Automotive has three business lines: Vehicle Manufacturing, EV Systems, and Roof & Kinematic Systems.

In vehicle manufacturing, Valmet Automotive's customer references include Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Saab, Opel and Fisker. Valmet Automotive has electric vehicles in series production since 2009. In July 2021 Valmet Automotive announced to be selected to build long-range solar cars for Lightyear. Valmet Automotive has also announced the manufacturing contract with Sono Motors for the Sion model in 2022.

In July 2012, Daimler AG and Valmet Automotive announced a manufacturing agreement Mercedes-Benz A-Class for the Uusikaupunki, Finland, plant. Production began in August 2013. A contract for the production of the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class was announced in November 2015. The GLC production started in February 2017. In March 2017, Valmet Automotive announced the manufacturing contract with Daimler AG for the next generation Mercedes-Benz compact cars. While the production of the GLC ended in 2022, Valmet Automotive announced a manufacturing contract for the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé.

In the EV Systems business line, Valmet Automotive operates two battery pack production facilities in Salo, Finland, and in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The battery plant in Salo, Finland started large-scale production of 48-volt systems in 2019, and the expansion to include production of high-voltage batteries was completed in the summer of 2021. The battery plant in Uusikaupunki was opened in September 2021; high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles are manufactured there under one roof with vehicle production. A third battery plant in Kirchardt, Germany, is under construction and will open in 2022. Valmet Automotive also has sites for battery testing and engineering in Bad Friedrichshall, Weihenbronn, Munich and Turku (Finland).

In 2010, Valmet Automotive took over Karmann's roof business and continued operations at the Osnabrück, Germany, and Żary, Poland sites. In 2016, it was decided to expand the Roof Systems business to include Kinematic Systems. Kinematic Systems comprises the development and production of spoiler systems to reduce fuel consumption and optimize the range of electrically powered vehicles. The product range also includes kinematic solutions for electric vehicles such as electric charging flaps.
The customer reference list of the Roof & Kinematic Systems business line includes brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Mini (BMW Group), Bentley, McLaren Automotive and Porsche.

History

Saab-Valmet was established in 1968 as a joint venture of Finnish Valmet and Swedish Saab-Scania. The automotive plant was placed in Uusikaupunki, Finland and assembled only Saabs for the first eleven years. Between 1979 and 1985, Valmet also assembled Talbots; a total of 31,978 such cars were built in Finland. Valmet were only really interested in building the compact Simca-Talbot Horizon, but the French company required Valmet to also assemble the larger (and slow selling) 1307 before they would license the Horizon. Unlike Saabs, the Simca-Talbots were only meant for local consumption, although a clause in the contract allowed for the possibility of exports if parts made by the thirty local suppliers began to be exported to Talbot's main plants. Domestic parts content increased to thirty percent within a half year of manufacture commencing.

In 1992 Valmet became the sole owner, and the company was renamed Valmet Automotive in 1995. From 1999 to 2010, the sole owner was Metso, after which both Finnish Industry Investment (Tesi) and Pontos Investments bought 34% of the company's shares. On November 4, 2010, Valmet Automotive bought Karmann’s roof-component sections in Osnabrück, Germany, and Żary, Poland. In January 2017, CATL became a 23,08% minority stakeholder in the company, the other shareholders being Pontos and Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment).

Production

Present production

*Lightyear (2022-present)
**Lightyear 0 production started in November 2022
* Mercedes-Benz (2013–present)
**Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W177) production started in August 2018
** Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé (X290) production starts in third quarter 2023

Past production

* Saab (1969–2003)
** Saab 95
** Saab 96
** Saab 99
** Saab 90
** Saab 900
** Saab 900 Convertible
** Saab 900 CD
** Saab 9000
** Saab 9-3 Convertible
** Specialized Saab models (e.g. Saab 9-3 Viggen, Saab 900 Convertible, the LWB Finnish domestic market versions of Saab 99 and Saab 900 aka. the Saab 99 and 900 "Finlandia" 5D combi-coupe and as the 900 CD in 4D Sedan form, seemingly popular with Finnish municipal and federal governments and major Finnish industrial corporations as an official executive car. Etc.)
* Chrysler/ Talbot (1979–1987)
** Simca-Talbot Horizon
** Simca 1307/1508, Talbot 1510
** Talbot Solara
* Opel (1991–1997)
** Opel Calibra
* Lada (1996–1998)
** Lada EuroSamara
* Porsche (1997–2011)
** Porsche Boxster
** Porsche Cayman
* Garia electric golf car (2009–2011)
* Think electric car (2009–2011)
** Th!nk City
* Fisker Automotive (2011–2012)
** Fisker Karma
* Mercedes-Benz (2013–present)
** Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W176) production started in August 2013 and production ended in 2018
** Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class (X253) (2017-2022)

Future production

*Sono Motors (2023, expected)
** Sono Motors Sion production expected to start late 2023Valmet Automotive Sopimukseen sähköatovalmitstaja Sono Motorsin kanssa
(in Finnish)

Gallery

File:Saab 95 V4 1974.jpg, Saab 95
File:1972 Saab 96 V4 1.5.jpg, Saab 96
File:1974Saab99EMS-US.jpg, Saab 99
File:Saab90.jpg, Saab 90
File:1985-SAAB900CD-front.jpg, Saab 900 CD (Long Wheelbase Model)
File:2nd Saab 900 S 3-door -- 03-24-2012.JPG, Saab 900 Convertible
File:1998 Saab 9-3 S 2.3i 5-door hatchback (2015-07-06) 01.jpg, Saab 9-3
File:Saab 9-3 Cabrio front 20071109.jpg, Saab 9-3 Convertible
File:2nd-Saab-9000-hatch.jpg, Saab 9000
File:Eurosamara.jpg, Lada 21093 EuroSamara Baltic
File:Talbot Horizon Lahti5.JPG, Talbot Horizon GL
File:Talbot Solara Lahti.JPG, Talbot Solara
File:Talbot 1510 Lahti.JPG, Talbot 1510
File:Opel_Calibra_front_20071007.jpg, Opel Calibra
File:2002-2004 Porsche Boxster (986) convertible (2012-06-24) 01.jpg, Porsche Boxster
File:Porsche Cayman S (6813118854) (cropped).jpg, Porsche Cayman S
File:Think City 2007.jpg, Th!nk City
File:Fisker at speed in the fog trimmed.jpg, Fisker Karma
File:Mercedes-Benz A 180 BlueEFFICIENCY Urban (W 176) – Frontansicht, 3. März 2013, Düsseldorf.jpg, Mercedes-Benz A-class
File:2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 Urban Edition 4MATIC 2.0 Front.jpg, Mercedes-Benz GLC-class

References

External links

Valmet Automotive company pages

{{Automotive industry in Finland

Valmet
Automotive companies of Finland
Sports car manufacturers
Plug-in hybrid vehicle manufacturers
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1968
Finnish brands
Uusikaupunki
Contract vehicle manufacturers
Finnish companies established in 1968
1968 establishments in Finland