The events in the former Renault Russia plant are developing rapidly. It has recently become known that the company will be renamed MAZ Moskvich and will start production of new models with internal combustion engines, and in the future electric vehicles.
Obviously, the entire existing Renault range (Arkana, Kaptur and Duster) will leave the assembly line, but then the logical question arises: “And what will be produced instead?”. Given the information available so far, we will try to answer.
First, it must be said that KamAZ, which recently worked closely with China’s JAC as part of the Compass truck project, will become Moskvich’s industrial partner. In addition, back in January this year, the truck manufacturer introduced the electric car.
At the time, the media suggested that the local company was considering the possibility of mass production of an electric car under the Kama brand, but there was no confirmation of this. Now the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov, said negotiations were under way with several Chinese companies at once. However, the most obvious candidate is probably JAC. In addition, if we are talking about electric vehicles, then this company has experience in selling the iEV7S model in Russia.
Incidentally, the Moskvich brand was acquired by Renault from Volkswagen in 2015 and all rights belong to a subsidiary of Renault Russia CJSC. After the transfer of the Moscow plant to the local authorities, the rights to the brand actually became the property of the capital’s administration. Today, the company employs about 5,000 people and has a production capacity of 188,000 cars per year.
But here’s the curious thing: today JAC is 50% owned by VW. In addition, 75% of the JAC-Volkswagen joint venture, which produces cars under the same brand Sehol, went to the Germans a few years ago. That is, Volkswagen is almost directly related to the Russian brand Moskvich, and the rights to the export name Aleko, it seems, are still in the hands of Volkswagen!
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But back to the composition of JAC and Sehol. Most likely, MAZ Moskvich will master the production of the electric compact Sehol E10X, which we have already mentioned. This car with a 41 or 61 horsepower engine is ideal for car sharing, which is especially popular in Moscow. This is also facilitated by a small power reserve with a single charge, which according to the NEDC method will not exceed 300 kilometers. The battery has a capacity of 31.4 kWh. The price of the electric car in China starts from 69,900 (9,700 euros).
The brand’s line also includes the E40X crossover, which will perfectly complement the Moskvich range of electric cars. This car has a 150-horsepower electric motor on the front axle, and a 55 kWh battery contributes to longer journeys. The Chinese NEDC methodology assures that the mileage of the off-road vehicle is about 420 km. Prices – from 130,000 yuan (18,000 euros).
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JAC also has some interesting sedans. For example, the iEV7L, which can obviously be called a three-volume version of the iEV7S hatchback. The power of the only electric motor here is the same 61 hp. as with the Sehol E10X. And thanks to the 35.2 kWh battery, you can travel about 320 kilometers on a single charge. The price starts at 109,500 yuan (15,200 euros).
However, things can still change dramatically. According to the specialized Russian media, negotiations with Chinese manufacturers will continue for at least another month, so we should not expect specifics in the coming days.
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3.1
Evaluation 3.1 from 10 voice.
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