Kamaz boosts R&D investment 33% in 2013
KAZAN. March 4 (Interfax) - Russian truck manufacturer OJSC Kamaz spent 3 billion rubles on research and development (R&D) in 2013, which is 33% more than it did in 2012, the company's press service said, citing deputy head and development director Irek Gumerov as saying.
He said R&D grew because of "increased labor productivity and contractual cooperation with foreign and domestic engineering companies."
The company began batch production of its Kamaz-5490 (M1842) freight truck, which has a curb weight of 44 tonnes. Last year, 96 of such vehicles were produced and the company plans to produce 2,000 this year. Kamaz also developed the documentation for new models of the T2642 and T2640 dump trucks with a wheel arrangement of 6x4.
The company also completed development projects for creating all-wheel drive vehicles with Cummins Euro 4 engines, and a family of Kamaz vehicles with Euro 5 engines is being developed for the domestic market.
"For the first time in Russia, R&D prototypes of plug-in electric drive freight vehicles with a hybrid propulsion system and independent front suspension were produced," Kamaz said.
The company is also developing a potential family of bus chassis. Preliminary testing took place in 2013 for busses with the Daimler gas motor.
Kamaz is Russia's largest truck producer. The company sold 43,800 vehicles in 2013.