The ongoing conditions suggest that the tightening of the new car market will persist for some time. As a consequence, dealers are likely to maintain elevated price levels while buyers adjust to the evolving landscape. This trend reflects broader supply chain challenges and persistent demand pressures that shape the automotive sales environment in the near term.
Official data from Rosstat shows that between January and April, Russian manufacturers produced 264,000 passenger cars. This figure marks a sharp decline of 47.4 percent compared with the same period in 2021. The year‑over‑year drop underscores the scale of the disruption facing the sector and the need for strategic responses across the production chain.
Monthly production data reveal a dramatic slump in April. Output fell to just 20,000 units, a decline of 85.4 percent versus April of the previous year. The month stood out as a low point in the current cycle, illustrating how rapid changes in supply and demand can compress factory activity in a short span of time.
The root causes of the slowdown are clear: shortages of critical components and disrupted supply chains. Faced with these obstacles, the country has begun implementing measures aimed at restoring production momentum. Notably, policy steps have been taken to accelerate the manufacture of simplified vehicle configurations, with grants and regulatory support slated to begin in early June. These actions reflect a pragmatic approach to keeping output moving while the broader supply ecosystem recalibrates.
Truck production also experienced a downturn, albeit with different dynamics. Over the four-month period, truck output declined modestly by 5.6 percent, reaching 52.5 thousand units. In April alone, however, the sector faced a sharper contraction of 30.4 percent, with only 12.2 thousand trucks produced. The divergence between the overall passenger car and truck segments highlights varying exposure to supply chain shocks and differing market pressures for these vehicle categories.
Industry observers emphasize that policy interventions and supply chain stabilization are critical to sustaining momentum in both passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing. In the longer term, coordinated efforts among automakers, suppliers, and government agencies will determine how quickly production rebounds and how effectively price dynamics adjust to evolving market realities. Market participants continue to monitor the effectiveness of the newly introduced support measures and the pace at which component availability improves, hoping for a smoother recovery path that aligns production with rising consumer demand and investment in the sector. Source: Rosstat data and industry briefings