Confession #44: If the faithful won't buy a Saab EV, who will?

2010 Saab 9-3X (Saab Automobile photo)

I've expressed my love and skepticism for Saab several times. But I never wrote an obit.

I very nearly counted them out as the production halt in April 2011 turned into a potential sale, which turned into reorganization and then full-on bankruptcy around Christmas. They were down, but not dead and buried. Yet.

Today's news the broken remains of Saab Automobile – the plant, various tooling pieces and probably a lot of stationary and swanky Swedish furniture – were sold to a consortium called National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS). NEVS is based in Sweden, led by a Chinese-born executive and has Japanese and Chinese money. Sounds like an interesting party, to say the least.

Confession #25: A Chevy and a Nissan are trendier than a Bentley

2011 Chevrolet Volt (General Motors photo)

While I've been gone – and in a state where the Chevrolet Volt has yet to go on sale – Santa Barbara has become the Volt capital of the world.

Considering it's a coastal town in California, the acceptance of one of the greenest things on wheels shouldn't be surprising. But remember, Santa Barbara has one of the most expensive zip codes in the country. Oprah lives around the corner from one of my high school friends' house. Rob Lowe is an accessory figure to the downfall of the local newspaper. (No, no, I'm not going there.)

That's why I'm surprised that in the first two weeks I've been back home, I've seen six Volts. Pretty much one for every color they're offered in. And only one had dealer plates. That means the few that are trickling out of the plant are going to real customers.