A prototype crossover based on the Launch EV One platform has arrived at the ATOM research center (JSC "Kama"), writes "TAGAZ: Avtozhurnal". The car was developed by the Chinese company Shanghai Launch Automotive Technology. The connection between ATOM and Launch Design dates back to May 2023, when a delegation from Tatarstan visited the company's headquarters in China. However, the cars behind the two projects are fundamentally different.

ATOM is a compact city hatchback, 3995 mm long, with rear-wheel drive and an NCM battery providing a 500 km range. Its turning radius is 4.9 meters, and the interior features a steering wheel and its own Atom OS. The Launch EV One is a crossover 300–600 mm longer, with front-wheel drive and an inexpensive LFP battery. The company sells not software, but a ready-made "platform": the customer receives a car designed, safety-tested, and assembled in Jiangxi, on which only a logo needs to be applied.

The leak of the prototype fits into three scenarios. The first is the expansion of ATOM's lineup into the SUV segment without years of developing its own platform. The second is benchmarking and studying engineering solutions. The third is export expansion under the Atomu brand to the markets of Southeast Asia and the Middle East, using the Chinese production base. There are no official denials or confirmations from the press service of JSC "Kama" yet.

Earlier, auto insider predicted the closure of the "Atom" project in the coming weeks.