The Kaliningrad plant has already mastered the assembly of 14 models of several Chinese brands and by the end of this year expects to produce from 55 to 70 thousand cars. For comparison, in previous years production volumes were significantly higher: in 2019, 212 thousand cars rolled off the assembly line, in 2020 – 156.8 thousand, and in 2021 – 177 thousand. In 2022, when Avtotor’s former partners – BMW, Kia and Hyundai – stopped assembling their models in Kaliningrad, production volumes decreased three times compared to the previous year.
There are two news about Avtotor at once. Firstly, the Kaliningrad plant expects to assemble at least 55 thousand cars in 2023, and possibly more – 70 thousand units, as stated by the governor of the Kaliningrad region Anton Alikhanov. According to him, the company has seen a “significant increase in production dynamics” and the company “continues to increase the level of localization.”
Under the terms of the special investment contract (SPIC), the holding must invest about 30 billion rubles in the development of its production and deepening localization. Since 2019, almost 11 billion rubles have already been invested, this year investments by the end of the year will amount to almost seven billion.
The second news is related to SPIC: TASS reports that Avtotor intends to sign a new special investment contract for the development of foundry production and electric motors in Kaliningrad. The total investment volume, taking into account the current contract, will range from 70 to 100 billion rubles.
To date, Avtotor has mastered the production of BAIC, Kaiyi and SWM passenger cars. In total, the company intends to produce 25 Chinese models, and in the future expand the portfolio to 30 models.
New Russians: premieres of our automobile industry
