In the summer of 2023, the UAZ-452, nicknamed the Loaf, is set to reveal an electric motor version in Crimea, according to Mikhail Demuria, president of the Association for the Development of Electromobile Transport Rustranselectro, speaking to the TASS agency. This news signals a new chapter for mass production lines ready to embrace electric conversion on a nationwide scale.
The Donor received the Loaf for converting popular vehicles into electric ones. An agreement has been reached with the UAZ automobile plant, with engineers contributing resources to advance the project, Demuria explained to TASS.
Demuria noted that Elkafa, a research and production organization, developed the project, with tests planned for spring. He outlined ambitions to evaluate the electric car under both summer and winter conditions across the Crimean terrain, including mountainous and steppe regions. The team intends to finalize a set of components that would enable the Loaf to roll off production lines at Russian automotive factories as an electric model.
Plans include installing a fuel generator in the engine compartment to boost range when charging infrastructure is unavailable. For colder regions of Russia, the design may also allow heating of the passenger compartment using fuel.
A full domestic rollout is envisioned for 2023, with a localization degree expected to reach 95 percent or higher. The initiative aims to offer these electric vehicles beyond Crimea as production scales, signaling a broader, national strategy for electric mobility.
Earlier notes indicated UAZ’s intention to port its models to a new platform, aligning with the broader move toward standardized, electrified architectures across the fleet, [TASS].