Russia’s passenger car output shows a steep year on year drop despite a June surge
June brought a notable rebound in Russia’s passenger car production compared with May, reaching just over 13 thousand units. Yet this figure represents a dramatic gap against last year, with January to June totals underscoring a heavy year over year decline. Specifically, output in June this year stood at 13.42 thousand vehicles, while the same month a year ago saw about 123 thousand units, according to Rosstat as reported by RIA Novosti. This paints a picture of a market wrestling with strong base effects and ongoing headwinds, even as monthly production improves from the May low point.
Over the first half of the year, Russia produced roughly 281 thousand passenger cars. In the same period last year, the figure was about 736 thousand, marking a decline of around 61.8 percent. The six month trend highlights how the industry has shifted from robust mid year volumes to tighter, more constrained output patterns across the sector.
Trucks posted a June figure of 10.3 thousand, which marks a 40 percent drop from June of the previous year. Still, production in June rose by about 36.5 percent from May this year, signaling some monthly momentum as firms adjust schedules and supply chains. For the first half of the year, truck production fell 17.7 percent year over year, totaling around 70.4 thousand units.
Buses up to 5 tons showed a sharper year on year decline in June, dropping 43.1 percent to around 1.3 thousand units. The month, however, recorded a fourfold increase over May, illustrating the uneven pace of recovery across different vehicle classes. In total, production of these buses reached about 5.3 thousand units for the period surveyed.
Powertrain trends mirrored the broader production picture, with internal combustion engine output decreasing by roughly 56.4 percent in June versus the same month last year. Despite this, June showed a month over month improvement of about 15.2 percent in engine production compared with May, signaling some stabilization in the manufacturing cadence as suppliers adjust to demand and inventory cycles.
Overall, the June snapshot captures a sector in transition. While calendar month gains are evident, the comparative annual baselines remain challenging, reflecting a persistent gap between current activity and the pre-crisis levels observed a year earlier.
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