Russia’s vehicle recycling rules have tightened for electric cars and plug‑in hybrids, with the scrapping factor, when applied to the baseline 20,000 ruble levy, rising from 1.63 to 33.4. [Autostat]
The levy is more than twenty times higher, and the change took effect on January 1, 2025. [Autostat]
In monetary terms, a new or near‑new hybrid or electric vehicle now incurs a recycling fee of 667,000 rubles, up from 33,000. [Autostat]
For used electric vehicles, the rate jumps from 122,000 rubles to about 1.2 million rubles, making the purchase far less affordable for many buyers. [Autostat]
For private importers who use cars personally and cannot resell within a year of registration, preferential scrap rates remain unchanged: 0.17 for new cars and 0.26 for used cars. [Autostat]
Industry players warn that the new scrapping levy will be folded into the car price, pushing up the final sticker price and shrinking the market for affordable electric models. [Automarketer]
RogovMobil founder Dmitry Rogov notes that buyers of premium electric vehicles such as Li Xiang, Zeekr, and Tesla will face noticeably higher payments, though the 667,000 ruble figure may seem small beside the car’s overall price. [RogovMobil]
He adds that electric cars and hybrids in a given class are not often the first family purchase. They typically supplement an internal combustion engine fleet, and the cheapest examples cost about 4.5 to 5 million rubles. Vehicles from Li Xiang and Tesla can push past 7 to 8 million rubles. Even with the extra 600,000 rubles, demand is unlikely to vanish. [RogovMobil]
Previously, the scrapping fee for imports like Li Xiang was as low as 32,000 rubles, making sourcing and resale profitable. Dealers favored the Li Xiang line and it spread widely across the market. [Automarketer]
If inexpensive EVs such as a BYD Dolphin‑like model cost about 1 million rubles locally, the new 667,000 ruble scrapping levy would push imports into unprofitability, Rogov concludes. [RogovMobil]
Which cars will be difficult to buy?
Elena Lisovskaya, who runs the YouTube channel The Fox Rules and covers imports from abroad, says that multiple increases in the recycling fee from 2025 will affect both suppliers and buyers of affordable electric cars similar to the Nissan Leaf. [The Fox Rules]
The scrapping fee for electric cars rose on January 1, and prices will follow proportionally across the market. [The Fox Rules]
With expensive hybrids and electric cars, the price rise may be modest. The cheaper segments will experience the sharpest impact, especially the Nissan Leaf, Lisovskaya notes. [The Fox Rules]
She explains that this will hit low‑income buyers who rely on affordable EVs that can be charged at home, reducing the savings on fuel that made the cars appealing. [The Fox Rules]
Taxi drivers who previously bought Nissan Leafs and used home charging for shifts may face limited access. Volkswagen IDs, once a budget‑friendly option, are likely to be affected as well, while BMW models may retain their appeal, Moseev adds. [Automarketer]
Premium segment demand for electric vehicles remains strong in Russia, with Li Xiang and Zeekr leading the field due to hybrid options, according to Oleg Moseev, founder of the Automarketer project. Voyah is also represented in this tier, and it is unclear whether the official importer Motorinvest will benefit from the revised levy. [Moseev][Automarketer]
The Automarketer founder says the scrap increase will not shift the premium EV market, but it will impose a meaningful price hit on low‑cost models. [Automarketer]
Electric Volkswagens and BMWs continue arriving in Russia in large numbers. The higher price may cool some buyers’ enthusiasm for budget EVs, but premium models are likely to keep their appeal, Moseev concludes. [Moseev]
Autostat, the analytics agency, estimates that by mid‑2024 there were about 90,000 electric vehicles and plug‑in hybrids in Russia. Of that fleet, roughly 19% were Li Xiang, more than 17% were Nissan, around 11% Voyah, 9% Zeekr, and 7% Tesla, reflecting the pre‑reform mix across brands. [Autostat]