Russian car sales collapse by 82 percent

The sales of new passenger cars and commercial vehicles in Russia had decreased by 82 percent by the end of June, compared to the same period in 2021. The sales have thus had a fivefold decline, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) said, TASS reports.

In absolute terms, the sales amounted to 27,700 vehicles. For the entire six months, car sales decreased by 57 percent to 370,000 vehicles. The AEB recalled that the monthly data did not include sales data for BMW and Mercedes-Benz Rus.

Interest in used cars has grown considerably in Russia as the supplies of new cars have practically stopped.

Russian car manufacturers have difficulties resuming production due to the lack of foreign components. They have not yet found a way to solve problems, whereas sanctions and logistical difficulties hamper imports.

In June, Russia's AvtoVAZ reported a production decline of 81 percent compared to last year. Such indicators were reported even after the company resumed production after almost two months of inactivity. The company started producing Lada Granta Classic 2022 cars, devoid of such options as airbags, ABS and automatic transmission. In mid-July, the company plans to resume the production of Niva Legend.