Russian electric car Atom was tested in Surgut at -42°C

The domestic Atom electric car has passed sea trials in Surgut at temperatures up to -42 °C, despite the fact that the operating range of the model is -30 °C to +40 °C. All the main systems, including climate control, heating, battery and swing doors, worked without significant comments, according to a statement from Kama, which was received by Izvestia on February 13. The launch of the serial production of the model is scheduled for the spring of this year.

To assess the effectiveness of the climate control in the cabin, the temperature was constantly maintained at +24 °C. It took only 25 minutes to fully warm up the cabin from -30 °C to the setpoint, the company noted. During tests of the efficiency of thermoregulation of a high-voltage battery and the charging speed at different types of stations, it was determined that at -30 ° C the car is fully charged from 20-80% in about 45 minutes.

The developers pointed out that if at -42 ° C conventional cars with internal combustion engines require preheaters and even with them they are not guaranteed to start, then the Atom started instantly even after complete overnight freezing without additional systems and preparation.

"For comparative evaluation, similar tests were conducted with the most popular electric vehicles from other manufacturers. In terms of key parameters — energy efficiency, heating speed, and heat preservation — Atom's results were comparable to its competitors or even better. For example, Atom traveled more on a single charge than its competitors," Kama said.

The tests lasted two weeks on public roads and on snow-covered country roads. The total mileage exceeded 1,500 km. The manufacturer said that these tests were the final stage of the winter tests before the launch of mass production. They were preceded by laboratory calibrations in climate chambers, where Atom's systems underwent initial setup and verification, as well as tests in the conditions of the Moscow winter.

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Earlier, on January 30, it was reported that the Russian Atom electric car should go on sale in April 2026. For those who pre-order, the price is 3.9 million rubles, and when buying on credit or leasing, there is a state subsidy of 925 thousand rubles, said a representative of the Kama company.

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