The revived Russo-Balt brand, which produced automobiles in the Russian Empire from 1909 to 1918, is preparing to sign a special investment contract with the government. If signed, the price of the F200 electric vehicle will decrease by 1.5 million rubles, the company press service told Motor.
Russo-Balt is preparing technical documentation for full compensation of the recycling fee so that there is no excessive financial burden on our buyers in the price of the electric vehicle. Thus, by the start of sales in 2027, the F200 electric van in the base configuration will cost 5 million rubles.
The model's starting price was announced at 6.5 million rubles. The contract with the government will allow the manufacturer to recover the paid recycling fee and receive other benefits in exchange for production localization.
The Russo-Balt F200 electric van, presented at the beginning of the year, has a payload capacity of 1,000 kg and does not require a Category C driver's license — a regular passenger-car Category B is sufficient. The body is made by hand welding, and production is planned to be made to order. Certification of the van is still ongoing.
Earlier, company co-owner Vyacheslav Vyatkin reported that full-cycle production has already been deployed in Perm. Body panels are manufactured by cold bending from Russian-made sheet stainless steel — this makes it possible to dispense with expensive stamping presses. The manufacturer gives a 100-year warranty on the body against perforation corrosion, and 5 years on the battery with no mileage limit.