Despite sanctions and the termination of collaboration with Daimler Truck AG, Kama Automobile Plant continues to manufacture Mercedes-Benz cab tractors. At present, assembly proceeds from warehouse stocks of components, a mode expected to last through the end of the second quarter.
KAMAZ announced plans to produce 346 K4 main tractors fitted with a licensed Mercedes-Benz Axor cab from the 2001 model year and 77 K5 family tractors equipped with a Mercedes-Benz Actros BM963 cab from the 2012 model year during April through June. The result will be a total of 423 trucks featuring German-made cabins. This operational choice reflects the ongoing adjustments in supply chains and licensing arrangements under current trade restraints.
Looking ahead, the K4 line is slated to be retired in July, and K5 production will pause to facilitate a full import substitution of components. Production of K5-line trucks is anticipated to resume in early 2023 in a version adapted to domestic supply capabilities. The inline six-cylinder turbo diesel KAMAZ-Liebherr P6 engine for this model is also expected to be fully localized, as noted by Rostec head Sergey Chemezov in a recent briefing.
The sanctions environment continues to constrain KAMAZ’s ability to import parts from the European Union, which previously played a significant role in the company’s latest model lineup. Additionally, Daimler Truck AG, a co-owner of KAMAZ, suspended cooperation across all projects at the start of March.
In 2021, KAMAZ sold 7,994 main tractors of the K4 and K5 generations. In the early months of 2022, sales of the new lineup’s cab-equipped trucks reached 1,621 units.
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