Russia’s Ural Motors Leads The Way In Auto-Component Self-Sufficiency

Russia’s Ural Automobile Plant, based in Chelyabinsk, has begun constructing a new foundry complex with an investment of ₽9.5 billion (US$118.8 million), according to the Russian Industrial Development Fund (IDF). The fund provided the plant with a ₽5 billion preferential loan for implementing the project, with the foundation stone laying ceremony held last week. The news is significant as it illustrates Russia’s continuing moves to reduce reliance on overseas suppliers and to better develop its own component manufacturing industries.

The Ural Automobile Plant is a major manufacturer of trucks in Russia, specializing in all-wheel drive trucks with a carrying capacity ranging from 4 to 20 tons. They produce various truck models, including those with 4×4, 6×6, and 8×8 wheel arrangements, as well as road trucks with 4×2, 6×4, and 8×4 configurations. The plant also manufactures shift buses and cargo-passenger vehicles based on their all-wheel drive trucks. In recent years, the plant has seen a significant increase in production, with a 45% rise in car production in 2023, reaching 14,270 units. The plant increased its daily assembly rate to 78 trucks per day by the end of 2023, up from 50 in 2022.

It is planned that the new shop, with an area of 46,000 square meters, will produce up to 45,000 tonnes of cast iron castings per year. They will be used as blanks for drive axles and other automotive components for trucks and special equipment.

Ural Automobile Plant CEO Pavel Yakovlev stated, “Creating additional foundry production capacities is aimed at solving several tasks. First, it is about mastering the production of casting blanks for localized parts of Ural vehicles’ new axles. Second, we plan to fully cover our own needs in cast iron casting. And, of course, we will work for third-party customers.”

Old foundry buildings at the industrial site have been dismantled, design work has been completed, and contracts with contractors have been signed. Production is scheduled to start in early 2027.