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Construction Machinery Sales Could Fall 18%
The market for construction machinery showed good results in Q1 2020, following ruble devaluation and the construction of hospitals. However, it began to decline in April, and the Association of European Business (AEB) expects an 18% decline for 2020 instead of the small growth forecasted earlier.

Maxim Sakov The most significant sales decline is expected for excavators, loaders and dump trucks. Only crawler tractors can avoid decrease, however, it’s still 32.6% worse than pre-crisis expectation.
Experts note that the largest decline is likely to be in more expensive applications, or where existing fleets have larger reserves. In cases where there are no support measures, the decline could be as much as 50% or more.
However, one positive signal is that there are no plans to reduce road construction projects.
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Russia: Assembly of Electric GAZelle LCVs Started in Germany
Sales of electric version of GAZelle Next LCV have begun in Germany. Stuttgart company EFA-S is modifying Russian vehicles. The assembly started this year.

Maxim Sakov The German company purchases LCVs in Russia without transmission, engine and fuel system. Then in Stuttgart they install an electric motor and battery.
Currently, four versions of the electric vehicle are available – a side truck, a wagon, a 2-cabin wagon and a mini-bus. All LCVs are powered by a 110 kWt electric motor and can reach a speed of 88 km/hour.
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Russia: KAMAZ Tests Driverless Trucks in Arctic
KAMAZ driverless trucks have been tested in the Eastern-Messoyakh oilfield in the Nenetsky region. The vehicles were driven 2,500 kilometers without accidents.

Maxim Sakov The joint project of Gazpromneft and KAMAZ was put together with support of region authorities in difficult climate conditions beyond the Polar Circle. The main target of tests was to determine the efficiency of driverless trucks, which would increase safety of cargo transportation and optimize supplies to territories with difficult access.
During the tests, the driverless trucks showed high potential to move on pre-set routes with high accuracy, to exchange information via duplicated communication systems, to recognize obstacles and forecast movements on actual environment.
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Russia Automakers To Receive Special Credits
Twelve automakers in Russia are counting on privileged credits for working capital support of backbone enterprises during the COVID struggle.

Maxim Sakov Under the program, a company must have revenue of US$300 million (20 billion rubles) and employ more than 1000 people. A special bank product has been designed for such companies. The bank interest on this credit will be subsidized within the base interest rate of Russian Central Bank, and half of the credit will be warranted by the Ministry of Finances. Read The Article
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Russia New Car Sales Drop 70% in April
New car sales plummeted by 102,000 vehicles in April, the largest monthly car sales decline in history in Russian, according to the Association of European Business.

Maxim Sakov During April, Russia introduced strict quarantine measures because of the coronavirus, causing car sales to fall by 102,089 units, or 72.4%.
After strong sales in March, dealers have had to suspend or restrict their activity.
“Black April” has dealt a strong blow to dealer cash liquidity, and seriously affected stability during middle-term period. The dealers are preparing to restart their business in May; however, they don’t expect significant sales growth.
AutoVAZ , the largest Russian car manufacturer, reported sales declined by three times in April over March.
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Coronavirus Has Major Impact on Global Production of Off-Highway Equipment and Medium & Heavy-Duty Vehicles
Download Your PDF Copy of the Presentation
ST. PAUL, MN–A team of international analysts from Power Systems Research (PSR) analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on the global production of Off-Highway Equipment and MH-Duty Vehicles in several regions today.
The team examined the impact of the coronavirus in North America, Europe, Asia, India, and South America for the remainder of 2020 and into Q1 2021. Download your copy of the presentation here.
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RUSSIA REPORT, March 2020
This report includes updates on these manufacturers: Haval, Claas, Aurus, and KAMAZ.
Haval To Build Engine Plant in Russia
This article first appeared in the March 2020 issue of PowerTALK™ News
Haval, the Chinese manufacturer, said it plans to build its own engine plant in the Tula region of Russia. Work is scheduled start this month (March 2020). The planned investment in the project is US$ 270 million. This information comes from press-service of Haval Motor Rus.

Maxim Sakov It’s expected that the new plant will produce 80,000 engines annually, increasing the localization level of SUVs by several thousand units annually. Total personnel number in automotive plant exceeds 1000 people. Read The Article
PSR Analysis: The first Russian Haval plant opened in May of 2019. Current production capacity is 80 Haval SUVs. The plant will be located on a 10,000 sq.m. site next to the Haval automotive plant. It will provide more than 300 jobs.
Claas is Shifts Production of Tucano 320 Harvester To Russia.
In April 2020, Russian plant Claas in Krasnodar will start producing the Tucano 320 grain combine. During the first two years, this model will be produced simultaneously in Germany and in Russia. Beginning in 2022, the plant in Krasnodar will became the sole maker for this model. The move opens opportunities to increase production and export volumes for the Russian plant.
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Moscow Boat Show 2020 Much Different than Previous Years
MOSCOW–The Moscow Boat Show conducted here March 5-9 in the Crocus City Expo center occupied two exhibition halls with total square of 19,000 sq.m., but it was much different in several ways than previous shows.

Maxim Sakov The number of boats shown was 30% less than during last year’s event. And the organizers of the show left a lot of empty space even in the dedicated halls. This looked strange because often there were only narrow passages between boats.
Surprisingly, more than 50% of the boats at the fair were produced domestically. Jeanneau, Beneteau and some other brands were also here, brought by a local dealer, but in smaller sizes and numbers than last year’s show. Some EU and Turkish shipyards exhibited at the fair, but did not bring anything besides marketing materials.
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KAMAZ Patents Electric Truck Without Cab
This article initially appeared in the February 2020 issue of PowerTALK News.
This truck has a very unusual design. The database of Rospatent has shown drawings of a cabless truck with an electric motor. The patent owner is KAMAZ. The truck has a very unusual appearance because it doesn’t have a cabin – it’s a box on wheels with low clearance, and it features round head and rear lights, and a vent grid. No details are available about the motor, except that it’s electric.

Maxim Sakov The truck looks…
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Opel Bets on Russia
This article initially appeared in the February 2020 issue of PowerTALK News.
Opel is back in Russia, and the company appears to be betting the Russian market can provide a significant opportunity for business diversification.

Maxim Sakov In 2019, company sales declined as the business was reorganized, and Opel cut its model portfolio.
According to reports, 96% of Opel sales are concentrated in Europe. This fact has determined a focus point for sales increase. In 2022, Opel expects to be in 20 new export…