In Kaliningrad, a new urban electric vehicle under development at Avtotor was showcased in design sketches and a state presentation. Footage from the factory briefing, streamed on the Telegram channel Amber DLB, drew attention from the automotive portal Drom for its early glimpse of the project details. The project’s working name is Yantar, and the visuals reveal a compact, single-volume body with three doors and seating for four. The overall length is around three meters, signaling a city-oriented design focused on nimble handling and easy parking in dense urban environments. The presentation emphasizes that the core frame of the body relies on molded aluminum components and high-strength aluminum-magnesium profiles, joined through laser welding, which aims to balance lightweight efficiency with structural integrity. This approach aligns with contemporary trend lines in lightweight vehicle architectures for micro- and subcompact electric cars. (Source notes: Amber DLB, Drom)
The front fascia and body panels are described as being made from polypropylene and polycarbonate blends, chosen for their lightness and impact resistance. The developers estimate the body mass at 106 kilograms and highlight a high degree of recyclability, pegged at 79 percent. The power architecture is described as cost-concentrated in two main areas: the traction battery, accounting for roughly 37 percent of the unit cost, and the body structure at about 21 percent. The project emphasizes the use of a Russian component base to support local supply chains and manufacturing resilience. (Source notes: Amber DLB, Drom)
Earlier communications from Avtotor indicated plans to expand product lines to include electric motors and compact electric vehicles targeted at younger drivers, signaling an intent to diversify beyond traditional internal combustion offerings and to participate more actively in the growing urban EV segment. The evolving concept of Yantar reflects a broader push within regional industry corridors to develop affordable, compact electric mobility solutions that can be produced at scale with domestically sourced components and straightforward manufacturing processes. (Source notes: Amber DLB, Drom)”