Russian Auto Industry

kvs wrote:The Zetta looks a lot like the Smart car which basically flopped in the Canada.    Either everyone drives such format cars or nobody does.
Electrifying regular sized cars should be a higher priority.    But they need to have plug-in hybrids and the associated power generation
capacity to charge them.

 

Initially, the Zetta was conceived as a car for wheelchair users. They could have entered the car through the back door. 
To be honest, I'm not sure that this concept is being implemented on the latest versions of Zetta. Apparently, the developers decided to make just a car.

Here is an image of this concept car for wheelchair users. This was the design of the early versions of Zetta:

There are private companies here in Canada, particularly out in BC which will convert any car into an electric. Mind you, very expensive. But I always figured a Honda Civic, which much like the older Pontiac Sunfires, are everywhere and parts from pick and pull are found everywhere and cheap. So maybe electrifying one of those here would be a great idea if you are willing to pay the price.

kvs wrote:The Zetta looks a lot like the Smart car which basically flopped in the Canada.    Either everyone drives such format cars or nobody does.
Electrifying regular sized cars should be a higher priority.    But they need to have plug-in hybrids and the associated power generation
capacity to charge them.

 

I don't want to jinx it

So I'll just say - I wish the Zetta the best of luck and commercial success

The Youth Design Bureau (KBM) received the WMI certificate.

KBM is a bureau of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, where students of MSTU and partner universities can design their cars on the platform of the Crimea roadster. At the moment, KBM has built 2 prototypes of the roadster, as well as several frames of 3 prototypes of the student's roadster. One frame was left at MSTU to create a pre-production car (students and teachers plan to launch an affordable roadster into production). The remaining frames were sent to partner universities that will develop their cars. Here is such an interesting practice for students. 

1st prototype

2nd prototype

3D-model of the 3rd prototype

Ironically I think a modular power system could be developed that has a gas turbine that burns hydrogen that is small and compact that is powerful enough to run a car that is the size of a suitcase that you can plug in to an all electric car to make it a hybrid would be interesting, because without a fuel powered electricity generation you are just going to end up with fields of cars whose batteries are expired.

Hybrids means the batteries can last longer or can be battery independent when needed.

Situations where electricity demand is high like in the rain in winter in the dark where you have the heater on and the headlights and the window wipers and demisters is going to seriously reduce the driving range and endurance of any electric car... putting a dozen backup batteries in the boot might sound like a good idea most of the time, but having replaceable batteries is likely the best solution but this also means carrying extra weight as well and lead to cheap batteries which will only make the problem of used batteries much worse.

I was thinking more of a closed cycle battery type set up... with most battery powered cars you plug them in and charge them up... either at home or at a charging station so a box system perhaps the size of a current car engine with a compact gas turbine engine where you pour water into an external tank and when plugged in to recharge it recharges the batteries in the car but also converts the water to hydrogen gas so when both are fully "charged" you can start by using the batteries and if they get low then you start running the turbine running on hydrogen with the exhaust filling water tanks with hot water that powers the car and further charges the batteries... once you are out of hydrogen the batteries will be charged again to further boost range... like in a normal hybrid but without using petrol or diesel or emitting carbon.

Now I realise many countries generate electricity via coal and other bad stuff but that is not the car drivers problem...

Aurus opens second dealership. 

In September, the second Aurus dealership will open in Moscow. Recall that the first showroom of the brand was opened two years ago-on August 23, 2019 in Moscow City.

The second Avilon Aurus dealership, as Oleg Shamba, Avilon's chief Operating Officer, told to Vedomosti, will be located on the Third Transport Ring in the Avilon Legend complex, which is located next to Avtozavodskaya Street.

The showroom's exposition will consist of one model-the Senat sedan. Limousin "like Putin's Aurus Senat Limousine" with armor protection class VR10, the announcement of the sale of which "Avilon" recently appeared on the Web, in the showroom will not be.

According to Oleg Shamba, the first cars from the Yelabuga plant will arrive at the new dealership in the second half of August.

Source: 

KAMAZ starts production of parts for Aurus. 

The Aurus family of cars is equipped with a hybrid powertrain (598 hp), which includes a 4.4-liter V8 gasoline engine, an electric motor, a battery pack and a nine-speed automatic transmission R932 of the Russian company KATE. The NAMI-4123 twin-turbocharged engine was developed by FSUE NAMI (developer of Aurus) together with Porsche Engineering.

In 2020, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, Denis Manturov, stated that motor production and production of an automatic transmission, as well as a number of other components for Auruses, will be established in cooperation with KAMAZ.

Finally, the Kama auto giant became a supplier of key components for Aurus Senat. The KAMAZ foundry started manufacturing complex castings in test mode: cylinder blocks, heads and base plates for NAMI-4123 engines.

"All of them are made of aluminum alloy, this is about 30 positions, they are used for both existing and new equipment. All these items will be manufactured by the foundry. Since 2019, we have been working on the design of positions, and now we are experimentally pouring individual products: a block, a head, a base plate for Aurus" – said Alexandra Efremova, head of the technological department for non-ferrous casting production.

Currently, blocks and heads of foreign origin are used on commodity Tiers. As soon as KAMAZ is able to provide the perfect quality of parts, import substitution will occur.

The NAMI-4123 block wall thickness is only 4-5 mm, and it is made of a special aluminum-based alloy. The requirements for its quality are higher than in the case of power units for products of other automakers, the press service of KAMAZ notes.

As for the timing, serial production of cylinder blocks and block heads for Auruses in Naberezhnye Chelny will begin in 2022. Then they will install new equipment and launch a site for the project. The castings will be machined and assembled into ready-made engines at the Yelabuga plant.

Source: 

Wooden Aurus Senate limousine in the museum of the special purpose garage of the Federal Security Service of Russia

When will UAZ, VAZ, GAZ, etc design mid class cars on the aesthetics level, for example, of

this


this


this



this



and this



Instead of this


or this


Which looks like a 2013 dacia or ford focus/fiesta reskin, yet are produced from the late 2010s.


Note:
Im not  using aurus as an example bexause it is a luxury car, not a mid-low price car.

limb wrote:When will UAZ, VAZ, GAZ, etc design mid class cars on the aesthetics level, for example, of this...

When they start charging double the current price

PapaDragon wrote:

limb wrote:When will UAZ, VAZ, GAZ, etc design mid class cars on the aesthetics level, for example, of this...

When they start charging double the current price

Sounds good. The russian middle class can already afford the vehicles I showed. Hypothetical russian equivalents will be cheaper due to no tarrifs. Its a win win situation. More money for auto manufacturers and increased reputation, and russian customers will be satisfied with better quality domestic vehicles that are not aurus level but not shitbox dacia level.

GAZelle NN van 

ALAMO wrote:limb, you are quite sure having a clue?
Camry is a top line of Toyota.
XC60 is an SUV that is rather a luxury car in Europe.
Superb is a top line of Skoda.
And you are comparing with them Vesta and X-Ray, costing 1/3rd at most?
What is a purpose of this, other than trolling?
Maybe lacking the simple knowledge about the offer and segmentation of car producers?

I did not want to make a direct comparison  between  models but car aesthetic/price classes. I'm just wondering  when russian companies will produce cars on the class level of the ones I posted,instead of ultracheap models.

Btw neither  camrdy superb nor accord are considered  top of the line  cars. In fact,, all sodas are  considered  very liw class cars,, slighy above Dacia or ladaThey're economy lower middle class affordability sedans. A "top line" is a Mercedes S class ,jaguar or audi S8 or infiniti. XC60 isn't luxury.

Even if what you said is true, that shouldn't be an excuse because aurus is luxury too.
To be fair,fair, Korea started with producing only Daewoo or Hyundai garbage in the 90s, but they managed to get to lower middle class level with their current models. If so russian car companies could and should  start expanding their selection  outside of shitboxes. Aurus is a step in the right direction,  but as I said its not affordable  for almost anyone.

Competitor to Gazelle from KAMAZ: known release dates. 

In June of this year, KAMAZ showed for the first time a prototype of the Kompas (Eng: Compass) light-duty truck. Now the dates of the model's appearance are known.

According to one of the official dealers of KAMAZ, "Compass" will be presented in September at the exhibition "Comtrans-2021" in Moscow. According to preliminary data, the start of sales of the truck is also scheduled for September.

The Compass family will include low and medium-tonnage models with a gross weight of 3.5 to 12 tons. The light version will compete with the GAZelle, and heavier modifications will compete with the Valdai Next and GAZon Next.

Kompas is built on a new KAMAZ platform. But the cab for the truck is borrowed from the JAC N-Series. At the same time, the Russian car tried on the original front end in the style of KAMAZ-54901 of K5 generation.

It is known that small and medium-sized Compasses will be equipped with a Cummins turbodiesel and a manual transmission. The car is equipped with a front axle on a spring suspension and a hypoid drive axle on springs. The brakes are drum brakes. The fuel tank capacity is 200 liters. The model has halogen headlights and heated mirrors.

Source: 

More information about KAMAZ Compass:

KAMAZ Compass (GAZelle's competitor): all technical details. 

As previously reported, KAMAZ will start production of the new Compass family in September. Detailed information about the model's technical features is now freely available.

The compass is available in four versions: gross weight 3.5 tons, 5; 9 and 12 tons.

This year, KAMAZ will bring heavy modifications to the market: Compass 9 and Compass 12. Such trucks will replace the current 4308 model with a classic KAMAZ cab.

Modifications of KAMAZ Compass. 

The Compass 9 is equipped with a Cummins ISF 3.8 turbo diesel engine with a power of 152 hp (load capacity of 5.6 tons) or 166 hp (5.9 tons). The engine works in conjunction with a 6-speed manual gearbox-JAC or FastGear. The model will compete Valdai Next and GAZon Next.

Compass 12 will be equipped with a 166-horsepower 3.8-liter Cummins (7 tons) and Cummins ISF 4.5 with a capacity of 209 hp (7.2 tons). Box — no alternative 6-speed manual Fast Gear. The model will compete with the GAZon Next 10.

As for Compass 3.5 and Compass 5, they will debut only in 2023. Such KAMAZ trucks will compete with GAZelle Next.

Compass is built on a new KAMAZ proprietary platform. The car has a domestic load-bearing frame and a cargo platform. The rest is Chinese-made: powertrains, boxes, rear axle, as well as a three-seat cab from JAC N-Series. At the same time, the model has an original front end with a radiator grille in the style of a premium track of the K5 family.

Source: 

Shift bus on the Ural Next chassis

ALAMO wrote:Any moment when they will decide to do that.
Both Skoda Octavia and Kodiaq, are being produced at the plant in Nizhny Novogrod.
Toyota Camry and RAV4 in St. Petersburg.
Nissan top line of Murano, X-Trail and Quashqai is being produced in Peter, too.
Mercedes E-Class is being produced outside Moscow.
Out of 220 000 VW cars sold in Russia, 190 000 were produced at Kaluga and Nizhny  Novogorod.
Still sure you have a clue other than trolling?  

Those are western cars. I'm talking about domestic car brands like VAZ, GAZ, UAZ, aurus,etc.

Updated Lada Niva Bronto

In Germany, Niva was turned into an electric car. 

The classic three-door Lada Niva was turned into a pure electric car. The project of converting a Russian SUV was developed by the German company Schmid GmbH. An electric field in Germany costs €19,990 (=1.7 million rubles).

With the help of this Niva, Schmid GmbH advertises its Elantrie kit, which allows you to convert almost any car with an internal combustion engine into an electric car. The company has already conducted a three-year test with the Volkswagen Golf III of the 90s. The price of the kit is not reported: it is calculated individually depending on the car and the customer's wishes.

As for Niva specifically — the original gasoline internal combustion engine was dismantled, and instead an electric motor with a capacity of 65 kW (88 hp) was installed. It is powered by lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) traction batteries with a capacity of 30 kW*h. The mileage of an electric car on a single charge is 130-300 km, depending on the operating conditions. Service life — 9000 charge-discharge cycles. This should last for about 25 years, after which the battery will retain a residual capacity of around 80%. The car retains its original four-wheel drive.

A 220 V socket is installed in the trunk of the Field, from which you can power external consumers with a capacity of up to 2 kW.

This is not the first time that Niva has been converted into an electric car. Back in 2015, Ukrainian enthusiasts installed an electric motor and a battery from the Nissan Leaf in a 2002 three-door car. The car could accelerate to 104 km / h, the power reserve was 124 km.

Due to strict Euro 6d regulations, AvtoVAZ has not officially delivered new fields to the European Union since 2019. For the last two years, the model has been imported to Germany and some other Western European countries by "gray" dealers. The introduction of an electric powertrain can be a recipe for the successful return of the legendary SUV to the European Union.

Recall that the standard Niva is equipped with an eight-valve gasoline engine with a volume of 1.7 liters, its power is 83 hp. It works with a five-speed "mechanics" and a transmission with permanent all-wheel drive.

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