scooters
On 1 March 2023, a substantial update to the Road Traffic Rules (SDR) came into effect. The revision clarifies how drivers should behave on roundabouts and strengthens priority rules for vehicles entering from the main road.
Key changes include a ban on stopping and parking on traffic islands and the introduction of blue signs indicating paid parking. The update also brings personal mobility devices (PMDs) into the regulatory framework. These devices cover electric scooters, hoverboards, unicycles and similar personal transport tools.
Speed limits for PMDs were set at 25 km/h. These devices may be ridden on certain roadways, and the weight limit for electric scooters permitted on pavements and pedestrian areas was established at 25 kg. Age restrictions were introduced for PMD use: riding on pavements and along roadsides is permitted from age 14.
Taxi
In September, a new taxi law came into force to regulate self-employment in the sector, while also imposing new requirements on both taxi drivers and the services that connect riders with vehicles.
The legislation outlines eligibility criteria for those who work as taxi drivers, including criminal history restrictions. Individuals with records for certain serious offenses are excluded from operating as taxi drivers.
Additionally, the law specifies conditions related to unpaid fines for traffic violations and medical fitness to drive.
It also brought taxi aggregators into a formal framework and established the Federal Taxi Information System. This system features three registries: one for ride-ordering services, another for vehicle and owner data, and a third for companies and individuals who hold work permits in the taxi sector.
Utilsbor
In Russia, August 1 marked a sharp rise in recycling fee rates for cars. Depending on engine size, the levy increased by 1.7 to 3.7 times for passenger cars, 2.5 to 3.4 times for commercial vehicles, and about 1.7 times for trucks.
The higher fees reduced the profitability of importing cars. Consequently, many large Russian dealers paused or abandoned parallel imports. The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s decision was welcomed by domestic automakers, especially AvtoVAZ, which saw potential advantages from the change.
They were yours, now they are ours
In May 2023, a former Toyota factory in St. Petersburg, formerly under the management of JSC Obukhov Plant and owned by the defense concern Almaz-Antey, transferred to FSUE NAMI. Plans surfaced to start production of the e-Neva electric vehicle, designed by Almaz-Antey, at that facility.
In May it emerged that Volkswagen’s Kaluga plant and the German automaker’s Russian representation came under the control of a company associated with the Avilon dealer group. The entity, renamed Automotive Group Rus (AGR), continues car production efforts with the goal of sustaining output.
The Kaluga regional governor, Vladislav Shapsha, announced that the plant’s restart was postponed to early 2024. In the meantime, Sollers restarted its own car assembly operation in Vladivostok, launching large-scale assembly of JAC pickups under the Sollers brand.
Additionally, a pact was signed to acquire a stake in the Isuzu joint venture in Russia to restart truck production at the Ulyanovsk facility. The Kaluga Volvo plant was brought under the Industrial Technologies group, rumored to be connected with Oleg Deripaska’s GAZ Group, and began producing Ural trucks. The PSMA resumed car production by late December, assembling mid-size crossovers from Chinese kits, a development reported by media outlets such as socialbites.ca.
AvtoVAZ and its company
The Lada Vesta underwent a redesign that debuted in February 2022 but faced a pause due to parts shortages. Production moved from Izhevsk to Tolyatti, with a restructured supplier base. The updated Vesta entered wide sale in June 2023, and in November, a Sportline variant was announced for release.
June also saw the start of production for the Lada X-Cross 5, a model that closely followed a Chinese FAW Bestune T77 design. Despite initial expectations, the car was not scheduled for sale. Industry insiders suggested that AvtoVAZ’s collaboration with FAW diminished after the domestic plant was added to a sanctions list in mid-September. Other plants, including MAZ Moskvich and Sollers, also participated in alternative arrangements.
In November, AvtoVAZ faced payments restrictions from banks in allied and hostile countries, affecting operations. In December, the company assembled a pilot batch of electric Lada Largus using remnants of old French car kits at a facility in Izhevsk, with mass production of both gasoline and electric variants planned for May 2024. KamAZ began producing K5 trucks based on new sanctions-resistant components in early 2023.
Early in the year, ABS systems began appearing on UAZ Patriot models, but later some configurations disappeared again from domestic SUVs due to production adjustments. A reporting outlet described ongoing developments in detail. Throughout the year, the Lipetsk Motorinvest plant, linked to the Reznikov family, started assembling several new models from Chinese Dongfeng kits under the Evolute brand, including a high-performance Evolute i-Jet crossover with a 585 horsepower powerplant.
In Moscow, a new Moskvich 6 liftback, based on the JAC Sehol A5 Plus, was unveiled with a turbo engine and a modern configuration carried through the year.
cars for civil servants
In October, the Ministry of Industry and Trade released a list of recommended vehicles for Russian civil servants for official use. The lineup included Lada, UAZ, Aurus, Moskvich, Evolute, and Chinese Haval models.
State Duma deputies began transitioning to domestic cars as a standard practice. A high-profile example involved Deputy Oleg Leonov reporting a service transition to the Lada Vesta.
Total
Rosstat reports that from January to November, Russian automobile factories produced 481.6 thousand new passenger cars, according to TASS. Output rose by 17.5 percent compared with the same period the previous year. In November alone, 64.2 thousand passenger cars were manufactured. New car sales across Russia for the first 11 months of 2023 reached 1.17 million units, a 59 percent increase year over year. The year-end totals for production and sales were to be summarized in January.