Chinese semi-finished products with the Moskvich logo began to be produced in Russia. It is being built in the former Renault factory, which the French gave to the Russians for a ruble. A number of foreign manufacturers, including automakers, have fled the country following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moskvich is a rebranded Chinese model from automaker JAC.
Yesterday, after a twenty-year hiatus, Russia resumed production of the Moskvich car known from Soviet times. It is produced at the former plant of the French automaker Renault in Moscow. This was announced by the truck manufacturer Kamaz, the plant’s technological partner.
Renault sold its majority stake in Avtovaz to the Russian state in May, ostensibly for a ruble, according to media reports, but with a six-year option to buy it back. The Moscow plant, now renamed the Moscow Moskvich Automobile Plant, was sold by Renault for another ruble.
“The first Moskvich cars will roll off the production line in December 2022,” Kamaz said. “The first model will be the Moskvich 3,” quotes Reuters from the automaker’s statement.
Chinese automaker JAC’s design, engineering and manufacturing platform will be used to produce the refreshed Moskvich. We have previously stated which will produce its own models, i.e. the cars of the affiliated brand Sehol. Out of a total of five models, four will be SUVs and one sedan, while production of both internal combustion and electric cars is planned.
Moskvich 3 is expected to be a compact crossover with a length of just under 4.5 meters and will initially be offered with a petrol engine. Only 600 cars will be produced at the plant this year. The recovery in manufacturing is therefore unlikely to change the bleak outlook for the industry as a whole. Annual auto sales in Russia are expected to be below a million this year for the first time in modern history.
The carmaker has also already started the search for dealerships in a total of 23 cities, which, among other things, need to have a charging infrastructure. In the near future, Moscow and Moskvich will become the center of Russian electromobility. The goal is to increase production at the plant to 100,000 cars a year, but that number is well below the industry average of 200,000 to 300,000 cars a year. For example, American automaker Tesla produces around 22,000 cars a week at its Shanghai plant.
Western sanctions imposed on Moscow after Russian troops invaded Ukraine have made it difficult for the country to access foreign-made parts. A number of foreign automakers then left Russia. Kamaz and the government have established new supply chains but did not disclose details.
The Moskvich marque was founded around 1930 and operated until 1991. Moskvich has its roots in what are considered to be some of the earliest Soviet cars of the 1920s and 1930s. After the Second World War, cars began to be produced under the name Moskvich, which means a Muscovite or a resident of Moscow. According to the Autostat analysis agency, about 200,000 Muscovites are still registered in Russia.
