It is an important symbol of the profound changes in the Russian auto industry since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. The Moskvitch brand, revived last year, will supply its SUV to a major taxi and ride-sharing service.
Production of the Moskvitch 3 began last November at the former Renault factory in Moscow. It really is of an SUV of Chinese originthe Sehol X4, assembled under license in Russia from kits from the manufacturer JAC Motors.
Yandex, the Russian Uber
Yandex, known for its search engine but which also has a subsidiary specialized in mobility, has just placed an order for 3,000 copies, indicates a press release from Moskvitch. Vehicles that will be used for taxis, but also for carsharing fleets.
“Moscow’s taxi market and short-term rental services need 30,000 to 40,000 new cars a year,” the statement said.
Production divided by 3 at the Moscow plant
Like the Russian auto industry, the Moscow plant saw its production almost halved in a year with the end of production of the Renault Arkana, Duster and Kaptur (the Russian version of the Captur). According to data from the Inovev firm, the site assembled about 150,000 vehicles in 2021, against 55,000 in 2022, and almost none since April.
“By 2023, the Moskvitch plant plans to assemble 50,000 vehicles, including 10,000 electric motor units,” the Moskvitch statement said.
Also note that the Sehol X4 is marketed in China in a gasoline version, but also with a 100% electric variant. The Moskvitch press release does not specify the version ordered by Yandex, but we can assume that it is rather the thermal version.
Source: BFM TV
