6 Oct 2022 12:14

Avtotor reconfiguring plant to assemble new brands of vehicles

KALININGRAD. Oct 6 (Interfax) - Avtotor has begun reconfiguring its assembly line and preparing to launch production of new brands of automobiles, the Kaliningrad-based automaker reported.

"The work is being done by the specialists of the company's innovative technology center, engineers, technicians and support service specialists. More than 200 types of equipment, instruments and tools will be replaced, modernized and reprogrammed in the process of reconfiguring production," the company said in a press release.

Specialized tooling is being made for every modification of the new models. The design documentation for this equipment is being developed based on preliminary measurements of all the technical components and assemblies of each modification of specific vehicle models that require the use of specialized tools in their production, the company said.

Avtotor plans to launch production of several models of new vehicle brands before the end of this year.

It was reported earlier that the company is concluding assembly of Kia and Hyundai cars from remaining components, and plans to work with new partners. Assembly of BMW cars was halted in the spring of 2022. The German automaker's Russian office announced in early March that it would suspend production of its automobiles at Avtotor and halt shipments to the Russian market.

After the imposition of sanctions against Russia, Avtotor stepped up efforts to find new partners. The company previously assembled the cars of Chinese brands Chery and FAW for a long time, and was planning up full-cycle production of some models.

Avtotor was founded in 1994 and began producing automobiles in 1997. Until recently the company was producing about 40 models of BMW, Kia and Hyundai cars. The company increase production by 13% to more than 177,000 vehicles in 2021.