BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29
By Fidan Babayeva - Trend:
Azerbaijan’s Azermash OJSC will start exporting cars abroad this year, Emin Akhundov, Chairman of the OJSC, told Trend.
"From October 2018 through February 2020, Azermash produced 4,000 cars. In April 2020, it is planned to begin the first export to Ukraine," Akhundov stressed.
"The next stage will be export to Uzbekistan in 2020. But it's too early to talk about the timing," the chairman added.
Talking about electric cars, he said the demand for these vehicles is low in the Azerbaijani market.
Akhundov said that electric cars are not profitable in for Azerbaijan, as there is no corresponding infrastructure for them.
"The price of the new electric car exceeds $20,000. These cars cannot work adequately in the winter so far. But Azerbaijan is able to create the necessary infrastructure so that these vehicles comprise 50 percent of all cars in the near future," he added.
"The production of electric cars requires much less money than of cars with a gasoline engine. The transition to electric cars will be more profitable for car manufacturers, not only because they are environment-friendly, but also from an economic point of view," said Akhundov.
Touching upon the issue of expansion of production, the chairman emphasized that the construction of a plant for the production of small trucks and vans in the Hajigabul industrial quarter of Azerbaijan is ongoing, and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2020.
"According to our estimates, the construction of this facility will be completed by June 2020. The share of Azermash in the construction of a plant for the production of small-tonnage trucks will be 100 percent," the chairman said.
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