Experts questioned the prospects of the Russian electric car Atom

The market prospects of the Russian Atom electric car, which is due to go on sale this year, are vague. This opinion was expressed by the interlocutors of the agency "Autostat" from among analysts and market players.

Igor Morzharetto, an auto expert and partner at Autostat, stressed that hybrid cars, rather than electric vehicles, are better suited for Russia's climatic conditions. Despite the fact that the car is compact, it is technically advanced, and the Atom's price is quite high — about 4 million rubles, excluding a discount on a preferential loan.

"It's very expensive for a small and stylish Class A car (and these have never been in high demand in our market!). Therefore, Atom's market prospects are difficult. Among the buyers, I see only state and municipal structures (as well as businesses that work with them). Unfortunately, following the example of Moskvich 3e, we can say that sales will be very small," Morjaretto pointed out.

Anna Utkina, Director of Communications for Avtodom and Avtospeccenter groups of companies, estimated the potential sales volume of Atom in the context of a general decline in the market for new electric vehicles in Russia by 5-6 thousand units in 2026. The target audience of the brand will be mainly the commercial segment, rather than the mass private consumer, she believes.

In turn, according to Yuri Ten, founder of the Terminal A secure shopping service abroad, Atom's main disadvantage is its market niche. The complexity of working in this segment is evidenced by the examples of both domestic Evolute and Moskvich, as well as imported Skywell and Ora, he said. At the same time, Atom has many competing models with a more affordable price in its narrow niche, Ten noted.

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Earlier, on December 5, the developers of the domestic model from the startup Kama said that it would be possible to see Russian Atom electric vehicles on the roads in the spring of 2026. They are planned to be produced in three versions: for private use, taxi and carsharing. The Atom can travel up to 500 km on a single charge, and up to 350 km at -20 °C.

On December 2, it was reported that the Russian Atom electric car would cost 3.9 million rubles excluding the state subsidy and 2.98 million rubles with it. In September, Atom was certified and received Vehicle Type Approval (OTT), which allows it to begin mass production and sales of the model in Russia.

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