Despite the war and electricity problems, a completely new LuAZ debuted today. This is a reincarnation of the famous “Volynyanka”, which has changed radically. Firstly, it is now an electric vehicle. Secondly, it was created for small businesses and as an assistant in households.
But most interestingly, the 2022 LuAZ (to be more precise, the 2023 model year) was developed neither by the efforts of the Lutsk automobile plant nor thanks to state support. Moreover, it is essentially a private project, which took a lot of effort, money, and almost 5 years of hard work!
As TopZhyr writes, it is significant that on December 15, exactly 55 years ago, the Lutsk automobile plant released the first mass-produced Volynyanka. Now it is known about its successor – it’s a pickup, electric, and accessible to ordinary citizens. In theory, though with current incomes, the concept of “accessible” has somewhat changed. But let’s move on to business.
The new LuAZ will have 2 pickup options
- first – with a double cab and a large cargo compartment
- second – with a four-seater cab and a smaller cargo compartment
The names of these models are Farmer and City, which hints at possible usage options. According to Vadim Ihnatov, who is the ideologist of the new generation LuAZ, the design of the pickups has been developed and tested to ensure the strength and reliability of the electric vehicle on one hand, and be simple in production on the other. Also, as the developers declare, an optimal electric drive system has been developed, which on one hand provides minimally necessary operational qualities, and on the other ensures minimal electricity consumption, thereby reducing the requirements for the battery, the cost of which makes up the main part of the entire electric vehicle.
When will it go into series production, how much will it cost, and generally what’s the status? Currently, road tests are ongoing, testing in real-world usage conditions, and in various terrains. Also, it should be noted that the project authors were forced to somewhat revise their plans regarding the production location and the very process of making the electric LuAZ. Literally:
- A lot has been done, but there are still a few important steps to start sales.
Unfortunately, the war has made some adjustments to the production plans, Lutsk is now in a dangerous border zone, where provocations from aggressors can be expected every day. Therefore, we were forced to start production in other, safer regions of Ukraine.
- It’s also currently difficult with parts suppliers, some companies have been destroyed, some work unstably. Therefore, I postponed the start of order acceptance to the beginning of next year, although I planned it for today.
Soon, the website luazmotors.com will be launched, where you will be able to find out all the details. So stay tuned and vigilant.