Atom electric vehicle project raises 24 bln rubles in investments, planning another 31 bln - GR head
KAZAN. Jan 26 (Interfax) - The Atom electric car project being developed by Russia's Kama JSC has attracted investments totaling 24 billion rubles in 2021-2023, having collected 105,000 pre-orders for the future car, Anatoly Kiyashko, Kama's Government Relations Director, said at a session of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) and the state corporation VEB.RF in Tatarstan.
According to his presentation, out of the total amount of investments raised for the project, 14 billion rubles came from funds of private investors, another 10 billion rubles - from a loan from the Industrial Development Fund (IDF). "There are currently 105,000 pre-orders booked [for Atom] for b2c- and b2b-customers. More for b2b, but we're seeing demand from both directions. We were supported by the largest leaders of the Russian market - Kamaz and Rosatom. We are also working with Kaspersky Lab," Kiyashko said during his speech.
Commenting on the progress of work on the project, he noted that for its own platform has been created for the Atom that provides "comfort, roominess and minimalist design." In addition, assistance systems for traffic control are being developed for the electric car, and its own operating system, Atom OS, has already been created. An Atomverse marketplace is in the process of formation to involve students in development of new products.
"Our team is an international one. There are competencies in both IT and engineering. The launch of production is due in 2025. At the moment, more than 900 people, specialists of an international level, have joined the project. Thirteen functional prototypes [of the Atom electric car] have been created. There is an agreement on the first production in Russia. In May-June 2023, an official presentation of the prototype was held," Kiyashko said.
He said that the Atom project was included in the register of the Russia-China intergovernmental commission on investment cooperation as a promising project. "Just yesterday a protocol was signed by both sides. We have attracted private investors, received a loan from the IDF - we already received one portion last year, and we expect the second this year. At the moment, we have our headquarters in Naberezhnye Chelny - 900 people working, our own laboratories in Russia and China; 95% of suppliers and components have been nominated - we are boldly proceeding towards industrialization and localization," Kiyashko said.
Kamas' GR director said that the project expects to attract another 31 billion rubles this year. In particular, 10 billion rubles will come from private investors, 15 billion rubles through the mechanisms of the VEB.RF project finance factory and another 6 billion rubles - in the form of a grant from the Russian Foundation for the Development of Information Technologies (RFRIT) under the line of support for particularly significant projects (PSP). "Attracting grants under the PSP-project status through the RFRIT fund, through the project finance factory is in the works. This is also a relevant project in terms of investments from private investors. We are raising a total of 31 billion rubles," Kiyashko said.
"In order to raise financing, including grant financing for the PSP part, and to complete the development of Atom OS, which we are doing not only for ourselves, but also for other domestic electric car manufacturers with the possibility of expansion and export to international markets, we must identify a source of financing for the project. Also, we are asking the government for permission for Kama JSC, as the sole executor and organizer of the implementation, to receive a grant for the development and implementation [of the operating system]. This also requires a regulatory solution for scaling up of other electric cars in Russia," said Kama's GR Director.
In the context of the development of the Atom project, he also noted the need to include new advanced technologies, which are not currently contained in the decree, on the list of technological operations defined by systemically important decree No. 719. "We ask that the Industry and Trade Ministry work through our proposals together with stakeholders. This will not only allow us to achieve our planned localization targets, but will also help all other automakers in the industry," Kiyashko said.
Alexander Pavlov, head of RFRIT, who was present at the session, noted that the fund is ready to support the Atom project within its stated needs. "The Atom project was presented to the prime minister [Mikhail] Mishustin, and we also looked at the project with experts. It is in line with the architecture that the prime minister has defined. We can provide grant funding of up to 6 billion rubles for such projects. Therefore, we expect that the project will now be presented in the "second wave" of selection, and we can provide support within the VEB.RF group of companies," Pavlov said.