Sollers builds up two-year stockpile of parts to service LCVs

MOSCOW. Aug 25 (Interfax) - Sollers' parts warehouse in Yelabuga has built up a two-year stockpile of spare parts to service the light commercial vehicles (LCV) the Russian automaker has been producing under the Sollers brand since the end of 2022, the sales and marketing director of the Sollers Alabuga plant, Marat Sharipov told reporters.

Sollers Atlant trucks have been produced at the company's plant in the Alabuga special economic zone (SEZ) since last November based on the technology of Chinese automaker JAC. Since then it has also been producing Sollers Argo compact trucks, production of which has now been moved from Tatarstan to the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ).

"We prepared for the doubts related to the product, to the place of origin of our technology partner. We needed to create a sufficient reserve of spare parts here, in Russia. And, basically, we ordered spare parts before we ordered vehicles, creating a warehouse that consists of more than 2,300 types of spare parts, more than 350,000 items. The warehouse is located at our plant [in Yelabuga], behind the assembly line. We are now covering all customer needs. The warehouse is intended, by our estimates, for two years of servicing with the sales that we expect," Sharipov said.

He said Sollers Alabuga imports an average of "two to five containers" of spare parts per month, primarily for servicing.

"Obviously, it's impossible to foresee everything. There are individual cases that no one is insured against, it's impossible to have 100% of the assortment. For these cases there is express air delivery. The channel has been worked out, we have actually already used it a couple of times. We do an average of two air deliveries per month for express orders," Sharipov said.

He also said that the dealer network for Sollers light trucks in Russia has 70 dealerships in 50 cities.