Fmr VW automobile plant in Russia relaunches after negotiations with new partner - minister

YEKATERINBURG. July 8 (Interfax) - Volkswagen's former Russian automobile plant, now part of the AGR automobile group along with the St. Petersburg Hyundai site, has resumed serial production following negotiations with a new partner, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov told reporters on the sidelines of the Innoprom 2024 forum and exhibition.

Plans for the Kaluga AGR plant's relaunch were announced at the end of June by the enterprise's trade union. At the time it was reported that the plant would restart in August and, "if the project goes well," would significantly increase its staff by November. "If necessary, employees will be hired, with priority given to former employees of production divisions," the union said.

Alikhanov told reporters on Monday that serial production of vehicles at the AGR plant in Kaluga had already resumed. "Production has already begun there, we talked with the governor. We had negotiations last week with potential partners [of the plant]. I can't say anything more for now," the minister said, confirming that he was talking about serial production.

Neither the trade union nor the Industry and Trade Ministry have yet said what would now be produced at the former Volkswagen site. The media and Telegram channels said at the end of last year that trial consignments of Chinese Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max crossovers had been assembled there.