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Avtotor intends to manufacture up to 100,000 cars in 2023

According to Valery Gorbunov, Avtotor plans to launch four more car models into production and is completing negotiations with at least two more partners

KALININGRAD, January 30. /TASS/. The Kaliningrad-based Avtotor intends to increase production of cars to 100,000 in 2023, Chairman of the Board of the Russian automobile holding Valery Gorbunov said on Monday.

He noted that Avtotor plans to launch four more car models into production and is completing negotiations with at least two more partners.

"Thus, this year, in addition to the first line that we are loading today, we hope to load all the lines and reach 100,000 cars in the best scenario and 70 [thousand cars] in the pessimistic scenario," he said.

Gorbunov noted that over the past three years, production at Avtotor has only declined and even almost stopped. However, during this time, according to him, the company was able to create additional facilities for manufacturing cars, including a modern plant was built in partnership with BMW.

TASS reported earlier on Monday from the launch ceremony that the Kaliningrad-based Avtotor automobile plant has started the assembly of the Chinese Kaiyi E5 sedan. According to the Russian company's press office, assembly work in Kaliningrad would begin with a welded and painted body and partial localization of components, with a shift to a full manufacturing cycle scheduled later on in the future.

Sales of new sedans in Russia are scheduled to begin in the Q1 of 2023, with three more models of the brand expected to hit the market by the end of 2023, according to the plant's press service. "The sales of the E5 model are set to begin in the first quarter of 2023. Three more versions of the brand are expected to appear on the Russian market before the end of 2023. The official distributor of Kaiyi in Russia has already started accepting dealer applications," the press service said.

The Chinese car launched on the domestic market has been modified for Russian conditions, according to Andrey Tolstobrov, CEO of Kaliningrad Avtoindustria, which will make the localized car at the Avtotor plant. The vehicle has heated seats, mirrors, a windshield, and rear windows, as well as body anti-corrosion coating. The sedan will be available in two transmission options.

Avtotor was founded in 1994 in Kaliningrad, Russia’s westernmost exclave. The enterprise was the first in Russia to start producing cars of foreign brands. Production has been in progress since May 1997. Avtotor manufactures vehicles under the BMW, KIA, Hyundai brands.

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