Russian Atom travels first 700 km on autopilot – technology to be mass produced

A team of engineers and developers tested the autonomous driving technology of the Atom in highway conditions. Testing the first in Russia electric car were carried out on the M-12 highway connecting Kazan and Moscow.


The route length was 732 km, 95% of which the car traveled in "unmanned" format. A specially prepared "Atom" copy was used for testing. The electric car was equipped with sensors with computing equipment. A similar configuration will be installed on serial models.

During the "autopilot" test, an experienced driver was present at the wheel. The tester monitored the autonomous system's operation, practically without interfering with the control. The average speed on the route was 90 km/h. It took 11 hours to cover the planned distance.


Using car-aggregate carrier allowed to significantly accelerate the process of technology development. In parallel with the testing of the autonomous mode, Atom engineers also tested other components of the driver assistance system (ADAS).

This complex in the Russian electric car includes 17 functions. Among them, the following deserve special mention:

✅ Adaptive cruise control with lane keeping
✅ automatic parking
✅ remote control

However, the main objective of the tests was to check the operation of the "autopilot" at high speed and assess its fault tolerance during long trips. The current legislative framework does not allow such tests to be carried out on city roads, so the choice of the M-12 highway turned out to be the optimal solution.

The Atom tests were conducted under an experimental legal regime. The format allows for testing unmanned vehicle technologies on public roads. This allows researchers to obtain the most objective data possible.

During the test, data collection and analysis were carried out in real time. This approach allowed the system to be adjusted on the fly and all possible scenarios to be tested. The test results showed that the ADAS functions on the Atom are capable of operating effectively in various weather conditions.


The representative office of JSC Kama emphasized that the tests that took place were a landmark stage in the development of the electric vehicle. The data obtained allow us to improve the technology in the shortest possible time and prepare it for serial launch.

Let us recall that mass production of the Atom is planned for mid-2025. The debut prototype was shown in January at exhibitions in Moscow, Naberezhnye Chelny and St. Petersburg.

In addition, the car has already been spotted on the capital's streets without "camouflage". At that time, pre-production models were undergoing road tests.