Russian KAMAZ cannot produce even Chinese trucks
The Kama Automobile Plant (RF), with which its main shareholder Daimler AG refused to cooperate at the beginning of the war, is looking for alternative suppliers.
So far, the company’s management has published a list of components that must be found for the production of modern models of K5 family cars. In particular, the production of engines of such machines requires new fuel systems, turbochargers, manifolds, aluminum castings, clamps, valves, oil, and fuel filtration systems; for assembling the K5 cab – thermal and noise insulation systems, plugs, sensors, windows, and door locks; for the production of chassis – electronics, air purification and filtration systems, hydraulic and brake systems.
KamAZ is also looking for suppliers of hydraulic pumps, certain types of cable winches and hydraulic cylinders for lifting bodies, interested in the plant in natural casting, gasifiers, resins, paints, oils, and tools.
KamAZ-Compass based on the Chinese JAC
Several components are also required for the uninterrupted production of Russian-Chinese compass trucks (essentially a ‘localized’ Chinese JAC light truck) – from springs and shock absorbers to seats and air conditioning systems.
The Russians hope that in 2023 they will be able to fully localize the K5 KAMAZ trucks.
Instead, the old K3 family cars, which were developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, are still being assembled. By the way, the plant supplies such KAMAZs to the Russian army, and these trucks transport fuel and soldiers during the invasion of Ukraine.
