Minsk Automobile Plant, Itelma Group intend to localize electric bus production within Union State
MINSK. July 8 (Interfax) - Minsk Automobile Plant (MAP) has signed agreements with companies that are part of Russia's Itelma Group (a manufacturer of electronic components), which will make it possible to achieve 100% localization of electric bus production within the Union State, the state agency BelTA reported.
The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the Innoprom international exhibition in Yekaterinburg between OJSC MAP, and Research and Production Enterprise Itelma LLC (RPE Itelma), as well as Transtelematika Service Center LLC and Autonomous Energy Systems LLC, which are part of Itelma Group.
"Itelma Group is one of the leading manufacturers of telecommunication and electronic equipment. These competencies are essential for us at the current stage of development of transport technology. They provide the electronics, battery systems, and chargers for our vehicles. We are responsible for the body, axles, drive systems - in short, all the mechanical components. This is how our joint work is structured. In this way, we jointly control production costs, create a competitive product, and enter the market," BelTA quoted the general director of the Belarusian enterprise Valery Ivankovich as saying.
A joint project is being launched in which MAP will use Itelma's developments in software, battery systems, electronic architecture, and internal electronic infrastructure of the bus, Itelma General Director Alexei Vorobyov said. "As part of this project, we have created a fully import-substituted product, 100% localized," he said.
In April 2025, as part of its cooperation with Itelma Group, Minsk Automobile Plant produced the MAP 303E23 large-class electric bus using exclusively Belarusian and Russian components. Key parts such as the frame, interior and exterior elements, driver's cabin, multiplex system and braking systems are manufactured in Belarus, while the entire powertrain is produced in Russia.
OJSC MAP, the managing company of the Belavtomaz holding, specializes in the production of heavy-duty vehicles, as well as buses, trolleybuses and trailers. Since 2021, MAP has been under international sanctions from the European Union and other countries. As reported, MAP increased production 12% in 2024. The enterprise produced over 13,100 units of equipment, including nearly 2,000 units of passenger transport.
Research and Production Enterprise Itelma LLC is the key enterprise of Itelma Group, which develops and produces a wide range of electronic systems for various types of transport and agricultural and special-purpose machinery. Its developments include multiplex, telematics, radar and navigation technologies, as well as integrated solutions that encompass powertrain control, onboard electronics and emergency response systems.
