They are not going to sell trucks assembled in test mode yet. Yes, this is impossible - the problem is that they did not have time to certify. However, this matter is solved, and in the near future. Avtotor management has already told independent media reporters that the cars are now going through the certification process. It should be completed by the beginning of April.
Serial production of Chinese trucks is planned to be launched in the second quarter of this year. Representatives of the Kaliningrad Automobile Plant do not want to reveal the secret of which cars will roll off the assembly lines. They promise a whole line of medium-duty vehicles with a weight of 3,5 to 12 tons.
Chassis plan to localize. Photo: Youtube.com
From the technical specifications, it was only possible to find out that the trucks would be with engines located under the cabs. Accordingly, the conversation is about cabovers. Such models are relevant in the city due to their high maneuverability, but they are poorly suited for rural areas.
At Avtotor, they told how they managed to set up the assembly so quickly, albeit a test one for now. The fact is that earlier HD series trucks from the South Korean brand Hyundai, which refused further cooperation with Avtotor, were assembled at this site.
The reason is banal - a violation of supply chains. In fact, Koreans are simply afraid of US sanctions. This threatens them with the loss of the North American market, and it is a priority, unlike the Russian one.
All trucks will be with folding cabs. Photo: Youtube.com
Representatives of Avtotor said that by the end of 2023 they plan to produce about 5 Chinese trucks, or rather, to assemble them. They promise that models of three brands from the Middle Kingdom will be on the conveyors. It is not known only, under its logo or not. About 70% of the produced trucks will be medium-duty, the remaining 30 will be light.
Interestingly, Avtotor initially does not want to be an ordinary collector. Chassis will be produced on the territory of the enterprise, which will be gradually localized. All power units, cabs and bodies in different versions will be supplied by Chinese dealers for now.
Avtotor plans to produce electric trucks. They are already working on it, but the timing of the project has not yet been announced.
The leadership of the Russian automobile plant promised more specifics on the truck lineup at the beginning of the second quarter.