Russia Plans to Boost Electric Cars Production

The world’s largest country is pushing ahead with plans to expand its electric car production.

Andrey Belousov, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister, revealed the Russian government’s plans to increase the production of emissions-free vehicles in the country ninefold, up to 18 thousand vehicles.

“In 2022, about 2,000 electric vehicles were produced in Russia. There is a trend to increase the production of electric vehicles,” TASS quoted Belousov as saying on Thursday. “This year it is planned to increase the production of electric vehicles by 9 times, which is up to about 18,000 units per year, and in 2024 - to 36,000 units a year,” he said.

He also stressed that eco-friendly electric cars are becoming trendy, as concerns have grown globally about carbon emissions and climate change.

Electric transport in Russia is set to be developed in three stages, with the implementation of the first stage started last year with the development of relevant infrastructure.

“It involves (installation of) fast-charging stations, as well as the creation of a regulatory base that allow comfortable use of road transport, primarily for the consumer, reduce risks and maintain profitability for manufacturers,” Belousov said.

Fast-charging stations were installed across the country, making it easier for people to charge their cars quickly and efficiently. The government had managed to install over 4,367 charging stations in Russia, among which 3,679 are slow charging points and 688 are fast charging points. According to Belousov, over 439 fast charging stations in 12 pilot regions were installed last year, and this number is expected to grow in the near future.

“This year, there are already 34 pilot regions that will receive subsidies for the commissioning of fast-charging stations. By 2024, the number of charging stations in Russia should be about 3,000,” Belousov specified.

The second stage involves an increase in demand and an increase in production load, while the third stage is the development of domestic production of e-vehicles.

Meanwhile, eco-friendly electric cars are gaining momentum in Russia, where over 18,700 vehicles are already on the road. Of those, about 12,300 were Nissan models, followed by Tesla, Porsche, Audi and Mitsubishi running on Russian roads.

Growing market in Russia means figuring out how cars can be refuelled, or more accurately ‘charged’, which require special stations, unlike petrol (gas) pumps. As the world’s largest country, stretching from the edge of Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean, Russia needs more charging stations in more places to provide cars with the necessary means to keep running.