The Year of Science 2017: The first Belarusian electric car is presented in Minsk

“The Year of Science to benefit the economy!” is this year’s slogan. The year has been full of major expos, multiple conferences, and promising innovations. The unveiling of the Belarusian electric car was definitely one of the top projects.

Electric transport manufacturing is being actively developed in Belarus. In late 2016 Belarus unveiled an electric bus. It has already won the spotlight at international expos. The bus was followed by an electric car. A prototype based on the Geely SC7 stock car, which had been assembled in Belarus, was presented by the National Academy of Sciences on 22 August. The entire electric traction drive is made in Belarus. The developers only had to import the battery. According to Industry Minister Vitaly Vovk, BelGee’s new factory can start making electric car as early as 2019.

Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko also remarked upon prospects of development of electric transport after personally testing the Belarusian electric car: “You can compare how many cars we saw in the streets 30 years ago and how many we see now. It is a matter of environmental protection. Economy represents another consideration. Charging this electric car as much as to allow it to travel for 100km costs literally Br2-3. It is not that much.”

The developers intend to organize the production of modern individual electric transport later on. The process has already begun: a Belarusian electric bicycle will be available in retail in 2018. An electric scooter is the next step. Its prototype will be assembled this month. The lineup of electric vehicles will be later expanded with gyro scooters, electric rickshaws, electric skateboards, and electric kick scooters.

Another promising R&D product — a super capacitor for electric transport based on graphene-like material — is supposed to be unveiled by the end of the year.