Regardless of whether the Amber Avtotor has any under the hood or not, it already makes a lot of noise. The first electric model from Russian car manufacturer Avtotor was greeted with general laughter. Expected by the company to be Tesla’s future competitor, this car designed by the Moscow Polytechnic Institute has become the laughing stock of the web. In question ? A burlesque design, cheerfully mocked by Internet users. Three doors, rounded curves, small windows and high-pitched headlights which give it the appearance of Fiat Multipla, a model renowned for its ugliness. “The nightmare child of a kangoo and a babybel,” jokes another Internet user on X (ex-Twitter).
Still in the prototype stage, this first 100% Russian electric vehicle should soon see the light of day. Production should begin in 2024 and the automobile manufacturer Avtotor promises that from 2025, nearly 50,000 models will leave its factory in Kaliningrad each year. The battery and the motor, both of Russian origin, are presented by the brand as strong points of the vehicle, which should be affordable for the general public.
“Historically, the Avtotor factory was known for assembling European cars in Russia, producing models for brands such as BMW and Hyundai,” recalls the specialist magazine Auto Plus. Except that the war in Ukraine since February 2022 has disrupted the entire Russian automobile industry, which has since been losing momentum. “The subsequent international sanctions led to the cessation of activities at the Avtotor plant, paving the way for a new era for the Russian automobile industry,” the magazine said. “Amber, the first 100% electric model developed locally, should also help counter the Chinese invasion,” the specialist magazine L’Argus does not fail to point out.
The site has been transformed into electric vehicle development and training centers for future engineers from the Moscow Polytechnic Institute. If few technical details are known today, “we obviously have difficulty imagining this car with decent autonomy and a level of comfort and safety in line with European standards,” says Auto Plus ironically.
