An EV maker could be a Soviet-era marque.
Renault Russia now has 100 percent of its shares. This follows its March decision to cease production in Russia. The board of directors of Renault Group met and decided that the French manufacturer would sell its 67.69 percent in AvtoVAZ, the Central Research and Development Automobile and Engine Institute of Russia, to NAMI.
A statement was released to media. Renault This is a “difficult, but necessary decision”, which comes in response to Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine and the invasion that began on February 24. However, the manufacturer makes a “responsible choice” in favor of its 45,000 Russian employees and maintains the possibility to return to Russia within six years.
All necessary approvals have been obtained and there are no conditions to the agreement with Moscow City and NAMI. The agreement is effective immediately. Renault has ceased all business operations in Russia. There, it manufactured rebranded Dacia models under the Lada marque.
Moscow’s Renault plant is being operated by the Moscow City. There are also reports of an attempt to revive an old Soviet automotive brand. The Moscow Times quotes Sergei Sobyanin, the Moscow Mayor, who said he would bring back Moskvitch , a Soviet-era automaker which was shut down in 2006. Kamaz, a Russian truck manufacturer, will be Moskvitch’s tech partner.
An official announcement from Mayor Sobyanin stated that the automobile plant at Volgogradsky Prospekt had a long and rich history. He started the Ford car production almost 100 years ago. Here was the famous domestic Moskvicth for decades. The plant has been a partner with Renault since 1998, and Logans, Dusters, and Sanderos have all rolled off its assembly lines. We will be opening a new chapter in Moskvitch’s history in 2022.
Moscow’s plan is that Mosvitch will begin by assembling cars using combustion engines, and then it may move to producing electric cars.