YEKATERINBURG, July 9. /TASS/. Serial production of cars at General Motors’ former plant in St. Petersburg is planned to restart in 2026, with the new owner, Art-Finance (parent company AGR), already having a potential partner, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said in an interview with TASS.

"AGR is currently in the process of developing an investment program to restart the Hyundai - General Motors facility. AGR plans that the facility will be ready for start of serial production in 2026. I should note that there is an interested technology partner, though we will only be able to speak about joint work in more detail after all agreements are finalized," he said at the international industrial trade fair Innoprom.

Art-Finance (parent company AGR) acquired the former plant of the South Korean concern Hyundai renamed as Automobile Plant AGR in January. Two production sites located in St. Petersburg came into possession of Art-Finance, including a plant in the Kamenka industrial zone and a plant in the Shushary industrial zone (formerly a GM plant).

GM’s facility was frozen in 2015 after the US concern left. In 2020, it was purchased by Hyundai, which planned to produce such models as Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Palisade and Kia Sportage there.

The Hyundai plant stopped producing cars last March due to difficulties with supplies of components.