AvtoVAZ is steering a conversation about a potential renaming of its historic plant in Saint Petersburg. The site, once the Nissan manufacturing hub in Russia, has been associated with the Lada brand and is now under renewed consideration for a name change to Lada Saint Petersburg. The initiative originates from the leadership of AvtoVAZ, with Maxim Sokolov, the company’s president, explaining the plan and the steps needed for formal approval. He stressed that any name change would require alignment not only by AvtoVAZ’s board but also with regional governance in Saint Petersburg. The proposal was presented publicly at a gathering of industry peers and business leaders, where Sokolov conveyed optimism that the authorities would review the idea favorably in the near term. Source: TASS.
In February, AvtoVAZ disclosed its agreement to acquire Nissan’s assets in Russia through FSUE NAMI, marking a significant milestone in consolidating control over production capabilities previously held by Nissan. Ownership of these assets was transferred to NAMI in October of the preceding year, signaling a major realignment of the regional automotive manufacturing landscape. Source: TASS.
Looking ahead to the second half of 2023, AvtoVAZ outlined a plan to launch production of vehicles in the C and D segments under the Lada banner at the former Nissan facility. This strategic pivot would see Saint Petersburg producing roughly ten thousand cars within the current year, with a long-range goal of elevating annual output to between fifty thousand and seventy thousand units as operations scale. The project envisions leveraging the former plant’s capacity to support broader market availability and to strengthen the Lada brand in competitive segments. Source: TASS.