Russia and electric cars – do the two go well together? Can you buy an electric car in Russia, and where can you charge and service it? Does Russia produce e-cars? Let’s find out.
A bit of a background. Today’s electric car market in Russia is relatively modest, and the share of electric vehicles in 2022 was only about 45 electric cars for every 100,000 vehicles. This might not seem like much on the global scale. For example, in France, this number is 780, and in the world’s leader, China, it’s almost 8000 per 100,000 cars. However, this share in Russia in the first half of 2023 was already 60 cars and is growing.
Behind the statistical numbers, the real question is: How easy and affordable it is to own, charge, and service an electric car in Russia and does it make any sense today?
Electric cars in Russia
Here, when we mention ‘electric car,’ we are specifically referring to vehicles that are 100% electric, excluding hybrids. Both owning and renting an electric car are viable options in Russia today.
Considering the western sanctions imposed on the country, what brands are available, and does Russia produce its own brand of electric vehicles? Furthermore, how affordable is it to own an electric car in Russia in 2024?
As of the beginning of 2022, Russia had approximately 16.5 thousand electric cars. The majority of these are budget-friendly Nissan Leafs, particularly popular in Siberia and the Far East, and often, these cars are imported as used vehicles from Japan.
There are also brand-new electric cars available for sale, including European and American brands. For instance, Tesla stands as the second most popular electric car brand in Russia. Both large and small unofficial dealers import these cars using the ‘grey import’ scheme, where dealers independently handle delivery, sales, warranty, and maintenance, detached from the original manufacturer
Made in Russia
Currently, there are a few electric car models being manufactured in Russia. Although most of them are just licensed copies of Chinese vehicles, there are also a couple of promising start-ups such as ATOM and E-NEVA. Here are the Russian-made cars that one can already buy in Russia today:
Since the end of 2022, car production has resumed under the revived Moskvich brand at the former Renault plant in Moscow. Currently, they are assembling only one electric car model, the Moskvich 3e, which is a fully licensed copy of the Chinese electric car Sehol X4.
While carrying a Russian brand name, it’s essentially a car assembled in Moscow rather than a fully Russian-made vehicle. The starting price for a new Moskvich 3e car is 3,000,000 ₽ (approximately 32,000 EUR or 36,000 USD). 1
Not to forget about the classic LADA, which feels more like a true Russian-designed electric car compared to the Moskvich. The first batch of the new LADA e-Largus hit the road in Izhevsk in early 2024. The expected starting price for a brand new car is around 2,500,000 ₽ (roughly 27,000 EUR or 30,000 USD).
Where to charge an e-car in Russia?
In 2023, the number of electric charging stations was about 1,700. and in major Russian cities, you would generally have no problems finding a charging station. There are various providers, including state and city-owned, as well as private ones. If you’re planning a long journey with an electric car, it’s a good idea to check the real-time map for stations in the location you are traveling to.
Options for charging an electric car in Russia for those who don’t have a charging facility in their own house or a parking space where they can install a charging station include:
- Standalone charging stations belonging to one of the charging networks such as Rosseti, Rosatom or Mosenergo.
- Charging stations installed at some regular gas stations. Such stations are available in the networks of Rosneft and Lukoil.
- Stations in the parking lots of shopping malls, business centers, hotels, and other public spaces.
The real-time map of electric charging station locations and current prices can be accessed through Yandex maps, electro.cars or plugshare interactive maps.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car in Russia?
When you charge your car at home in Russia, the cost depends on where you live, the time of day, and sometimes even whether you have an electric stove at home—having one can mean lower tariffs. In Moscow in 2023, charging your car at night, between 23:00 and 07:00, will cost you about 3 ₽ ($0.033) per 1 kWh. During the day, it goes up to 7.85 ₽ ($0.086).
For a car with a 77 kWh battery, charging it fully at the nighttime rate will cost you 217.5 ₽ ($2.39), while during the day, it’s 572.2 ₽ ($6.29). This charge can take you approximately 300 km in city conditions.
Now, compare this to a gasoline price of 50 ₽ per liter and a fuel consumption of 7 liters per 100 kilometers. To cover the same 300 kilometers with a small engine car, you’d need to refuel for 1,050 ₽ ($11.5).
Urban fast electric charging stations, known as ЭЗС (EZS), provide direct current with a power capacity of 50 kW and above. This is sufficient to charge the 60 kWh battery of a Tesla Model 3 in just over an hour. The cost varies depending on the operator; in 2023, it’s typically around 15—20 ₽ per kWh (approximately $0.20—$0.27 per kWh). This means that to fully charge your car, you’ll spend 750—1200 ₽, equivalent to approximately $10—$16. This charge can take you 320 km, and driving 100 km on an electric vehicle will cost you 230—375 ₽, approximately $3—$5.
In places like Moscow, there’s a network of EZS called “Energiya Moskvy,” (see locations) where, currently, you can still charge your car for free.
Where to service an electric car in Russia?
In electric vehicles, no internal combustion engine means no oil changes or air filter replacements. Thanks to regenerative braking, the brakes wear out slowly, but it doesn’t mean they’re maintenance-free.
Consider, for example, the high-voltage battery service for electric cars—it can be quite expensive. In 2024, due to economic restrictions in Russia, there are increased time and cost implications for spare parts of European, US, and Japanese brands. This situation has propelled Chinese brands like the Zeekr 001 to become the top sellers in Russia in 2023. Currently, there are more than ten Zeekr dealers open in Moscow alone that mainly opened in the last two years, and the trend indicates a shift towards favoring Chinese manufacturers in the country.
Despite this shift, there are still over 20 service centers in Moscow dedicated to Tesla cars. In these arrangements, local dealers take on the responsibility for supply, warranty, and service, rather than the original manufacturer.
Breaking down the maintenance costs is like uncovering a secret code—it varies with the brand, service center, location, and the job’s complexity. For a quick snapshot of Tesla service costs in Moscow in 2023: changing the front brake disks is around 28,000 ₽ (approximately $390), and adding a brake fluid and antifreeze replacement would be an extra 5,000 ₽ ($70 USD).
Title Background image: Yandex zapravki
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- Prices and currency conversions are actual at the time of publishing. ↩︎