In St. Petersburg, preparations are underway to revive production at the former Toyota plant, which was shut down in the spring of 2022. According to Alexander Sitov, Chairman of the Committee for Industrial Policy, mass production of cars at the site is scheduled to begin in early or mid-2026.
The project is being implemented with the participation of KAMAZ, Gazprom, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and a technology partner from a friendly country — presumably one of the Chinese companies. The new enterprise will become a key link in the restoration of the automotive industry in the Northern capital. According to Sitov, production volumes in St. Petersburg could almost double: if about 42,000 cars were assembled in 2024, then at least 50,000 are expected by the end of 2025.
Experts say that the excellent technical condition is an advantage of the Toyota plant. The equipment was under control all the time it was idle: the lines were not mothballed, but regularly underwent maintenance. This will allow production to be launched without large-scale modernization and quickly reach the planned volumes.
The site will produce cars under the Senat brand — two sedans and an SUV. The brand will become a new growth point for the domestic automotive industry and a symbol of the transition to a more independent production model. According to project participants, the focus is on localizing components and gradually reducing dependence on imports.
