In a little over ten years, every fourth car in Russia will be electric. At least, that's what the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation expects. Until recently, electric transport was not very popular in our country, but with the adoption of a series of state programs, a whole new industry is being created before our eyes. Moreover, it is entirely domestic – and benefiting every Russian.Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has approved a list of additional measures to support the development of electric transport.
This is another step to stimulate the development of electric transport. [...]
Some lag in the development of electric vehicles in Russia was associated with a certain skepticism about the green agenda promoted in the West, a more severe climate (which affects the operation of batteries) and lower financial capabilities of Russian automobile manufacturers, which forced them to be more cautious about experimental developments. However, even in the West, a new manufacturer – Elon Musk's Tesla - became the flagship of production, and leading automobile concerns rushed after him only when the success of electric vehicles became obvious.
First of all, electric vehicles of the upper price segment began to be imported to Russia, in which the domestic automotive industry did not have a strong position. And the development of demand for mass-market electric vehicles was hindered by the lack of charging infrastructure. By the way, the Mask also had to solve this problem.
By 2019, the share of electric vehicles in global automotive exports reached 3.4% (largely due to government support measures taken in many countries). It became clear that electric cars have come into our lives seriously and for a long time.
Measures of state support for the electric vehicle industryIn the same year 2019, the state program "Electric car and hydrogen car" appeared in Russia.
Moreover, from the very beginning, it was not only about supporting buyers of "eco-friendly" electric vehicles, but also about creating conditions so that the use of electric transport was convenient and profitable, and manufacturers of electric vehicles and electric buses (as well as manufacturers of charging stations) could count on a guaranteed return on investment in new products.
"Currently, support for the development of electric transport is carried out in several directions," Renat Bekishev, Director of the Department of Economic Sectors of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, tells the newspaper VZGLYAD – For example, support for the development of charging infrastructure for electric transport in pilot regions (co–financing part of the costs of installation and technological connection of charging stations). As part of this measure, 439 fast charging stations were put into operation in 12 pilot regions last year. In 2023, it is planned to put into operation 639 fast charging stations in 32 more regions."
In the Far East and Siberia, the main burden on the development of charging infrastructure fell on the shoulders of PJSC RusHydro. Starting with the installation of 10 charging stations in Primorsky Krai in 2019, the company quickly expanded its network of electronic charging stations to the entire Far East: stations were installed in the Amur Region, Sakhalin, Khabarovsk, Kamchatka and even Magadan. In 2021, charging infrastructure was provided for trips on the Vladivostok – Khabarovsk route, which was the first step for building an EHS network far beyond the regions of the Far East.
"Judging by the sociological surveys of motorists," Dmitry Belyaev, General director of JSC "EZS RusHydro", tells the newspaper VZGLYAD, "four out of five were thinking about switching to an electric car in the presence of infrastructure."
Seeing this potential, RusHydro is implementing a large-scale Silk Road project, within which the company's charging network will connect Moscow with Vladivostok. Today, the company's stations cover more than 70% of this road. By the end of the year, RusHydro plans to install electric charging stations in all cities and regions included in the Silk Road, the stations are located equidistant from each other at a distance of 100-150 km. The company's goal is to increase the number of fast charging stations to one and a half thousand by 2035.
Efforts are also being made to support Russian manufacturers of electric transport. "The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia is already implementing a set of support measures that contribute to increasing the production of electric vehicles and localization of the components necessary for it, as well as stimulating demand for electric vehicles," Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Albert Karimov tells the newspaper VZGLYAD. He recalled that such measures include preferential car loans and leasing programs, subsidizing R&D, a mechanism for concluding special investment contracts with manufacturers, as well as existing programs of the Industrial Development Fund.
More electric cars – Russian and differentThe year 2022 was a turning point from the point of view of the Russian electric car industry.
Several key Russian projects have been launched this year.
In September, the launch of the production of EVOLUTE electric vehicles took place at the facilities of the Motorinvest plant in the Lipetsk region. Also in November, the Moskvich plant, which produces both cars with an internal combustion engine and electric vehicles, was restarted. In April 2023, the company "Electric Vehicles Manufacturing Rus" launched the production of EVM PRO electric trucks based on UAZ Profi. In addition, it is expected to launch the production of electric vehicles at the facilities of the AVTOTOR, Sollers and AvtoVAZ plants.
In March 2023, the holding company "Sinara – Transport Machines" opened a new production facility – the Chelyabinsk Plant of Urban Electric Transport, which will produce modern trolleybuses and electric buses.
The key domestic manufacturers of electric vehicles and electric buses today are KamAZ PJSC and GAZ Group. The GAZ Group produces low-floor electric buses LiAZ-6274 (since 2012) and LiAZ-6274.20 "e-Citymax 18" (since 2022) at the Likino plant, and at the Gorky Automobile Plant in Nizhny Novgorod a whole line of Gazelle e-NN commercial electric vehicles (both in the minivan version and and in the light truck version), as well as a small electric bus "Gazelle" e-City.
The range of interests of KAMAZ PJSC in the electric vehicle industry is even wider. To date, KamAZ has sold more than 1,000 KamAZ-6282 urban low-floor electric buses to the government of Moscow alone. During 2022-2023, this electric bus was also tested in Belgorod, Kazan, Perm, Sochi, Rostov, Ufa and Lipetsk.
"We plan to take an active part in a comprehensive program for the development of ground–based urban electric transport, within the framework of which it is planned to supply about 180 electric buses to 10 pilot regions in 2023," Sergey Nazarenko, Director of Innovative Products at the STC of KamAZ PJSC, told the newspaper VZGLYAD. As part of the development of the KamAZ ecological transport model range in 2021-2022, an electric bus of a particularly large class KamAZ-6292 was successfully tested in Moscow. "We are ready to offer a new product to Moscow and its residents at the beginning of 2024," promises Sergey Nazarenko.
In the segment of electric vehicles, KamAZ participates in the implementation of an electric vehicle assembly project together with the Moskvich plant, where it is planned to produce about 10,000 electric vehicles this year.
Dmitry Skvortsov
