Denis Manturov, who serves as Deputy Prime Minister and leads the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Russia, indicated that vehicle sales at Mercedes and St. Petersburg were being discussed within the framework of plans to shift production to Russian facilities in St. Petersburg. This remark came in the context of ongoing talks about transferring Mercedes-Benz assets to the seller Avtodom, with the deal currently under preparation for review by Russia’s government foreign investment control commission. Manturov stressed that Mercedes is moving forward with the process and expressed hope that a viable solution would be reached soon in collaboration with a Russian investor, with the strong likelihood that the outcome will involve automotive manufacturing at a local facility. He added that Avtodom, while not a manufacturing entity by itself, has a proven track record in sales and service, and will be able to attract industrial partners to support production initiatives.
Manturov also touched on the fate of the Toyota plant in St. Petersburg, describing the decision as being near the final stage. According to him, both the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the city government of St. Petersburg are actively exploring feasible options for the future use and development of the production site, with automotive production appearing to be the most probable pathway. He noted that the exact type of vehicles to be produced has not yet been determined and remains under consideration by the authorities. In the broader context, the earlier reports cited a potential revival of the Russian Mercedes factory in the Moscow region, with tentative operations planned for the summer of 2023. The evolving situation follows a sequence of corporate withdrawals and asset sales triggered by the national events of 2022, when many foreign automakers paused factory operations in Russia and began withdrawing from the market or selling their stakes and assets.
Examples include Renault transferring its stake in AvtoVAZ to the state-owned Federal State Unitary Enterprise NAMI and selling its Moscow plant to the Moscow city government. Nissan moved its assets to the same NAMI framework, while Mercedes-Benz assets were transferred to Avtodom, a dealer holding company. Volkswagen exited the Nizhny Novgorod production site, Mazda sold its stake in the Vladivostok plant to Sollers, and Toyota ceased automobile production at its St. Petersburg plant. These shifts reflect a broader realignment of the Russian automotive landscape as policymakers and industry players explore new configurations for local production, corporate partnerships, and workforce development [Attribution: TASS].