KAZAN, May 18. /TASS/. Basic certification tests of the Russian electric vehicle Atom are set to start at the end of this year, Igor Povarazdnyuk, the director of the Atom brand, told TASS on Thursday.

"A lot of validation and certification tests are ahead of us in 2024," he said on the sidelines of the 14th International Economic Forum Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum. "The vehicle will start undergoing all the basic tests and trials at the end of this year."

He said the model lineup of the EVs, which were developed by the Kama company, is planned to be expanded in the future.

"The same platform can be used to make a lot of various electric vehicles," Povarazdnyuk said.

The Atom could become fully driverless in the future, the executive said. That could happen after 2025, when the company plans to introduce a driver assistance system.

"We estimate we have one of the strongest teams not only in Russia, but also globally, in driver assistance systems and autonomous driving," he said.

The project to build a Russian electric vehicle was first reported in 2021. The EV was name Atom in November 2022. Its first functional prototype was presented in Moscow in May 2023. The electric vehicle has a range of 500 km and takes 7 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h. Atom EVs will be equipped with features such as lane keep assist, traffic jam assist, recognition of traffic signs and unexpected driving situations. The price tag for the vehicle has yet to be announced.