The Russian electric car "Atom" has been officially included in the list of vehicles approved for use as passenger taxis. The corresponding order from the Ministry of Industry and Trade has been published on the agency's website. Where will "Atom" be produced, which cars can operate as taxis, and what about the new localization requirements – read in our article.

From the "Kama" Project to Production at "Moskvich"

The "Atom" model will be localized at the facilities of the Moscow automobile plant "Moskvich". The electric car project is being implemented by AO "Kama", established in 2021 with the participation of Sergey Kogogin, CEO of PAO "KAMAZ". Later, Rosatom, among others, joined the project's partners.

Serial production of "Atom" at "Moskvich" was initially planned to start in 2025, but the deadline was shifted to 2026. Assembly of pre-production prototypes of the car at the Moscow plant began at the end of last year, but serial production has not yet been announced.

The manufacturer previously stated plans to supply "Atom" cars to million-plus cities for use in taxi fleets and carsharing.

Which Cars Can Now Operate as Taxis

As of March 1, 2026, new requirements for taxi vehicles came into effect in most regions of Russia. Now, not all models can be used for transportation, but only those that meet the established localization criteria.

A car must either accumulate the required number of localization points according to Government Decree No. 719, or be produced under special investment contracts (SPIC) concluded or amended in 2022–2025. The model may also be approved by a separate government decision.

For the Kaliningrad region and Siberian regions, benefits are provided – the new rules will come into effect there on March 1, 2028. For the Far East, the deadline has been postponed until March 1, 2030.

The List of Cars for Taxis is Constantly Expanding

The Ministry of Industry and Trade regularly updates the list of cars approved for taxi operations.

It currently includes models from Lada, Sollers, Evolute, Voyah, Moskvich, UMO, Haval, Tenet, Omoda, and Jetour.

The list includes Lada Granta, Iskra, Vesta, Niva Travel, Niva Legend, Largus, and Aura, Sollers SP7 and SF1 cars, Evolute i-Joy, i-Sky, and i-Space electric vehicles, Voyah Free, Dream, and Passion models, as well as Moskvich 3, 3e, 6, 8, M70, and M90.

New Localization Requirements Tighten Selection

The Ministry of Industry and Trade previously announced additional conditions for including cars in the taxi list.

In particular, the car must score at least 1500 localization points according to Decree No. 719, excluding R&D. In addition, the manufacturer's investments in the development of localized production over the past two years must be at least 10 billion rubles.

The Haval, Tenet, Omoda, and Jetour models already included in the list meet these requirements. The list is planned to be expanded soon with new Jetour, Tenet, Omoda, and Jeland models.

In total, almost 30 models of Russian passenger cars in various segments currently fall under the three criteria established by the taxi localization law.