Business news

10 Mar 2020

Belarus’ BelGee to consider producing electric cars given high demand

MINSK, 10 March (BelTA) – The Belarusian passenger car manufacturer BelGee is ready to consider producing electric cars provided their sales are forecast to reach 5,000-10,000 cars a year, BelGee Director General Gennady Svidersky told journalists on 10 March, BelTA has learned.

“From the strategic perspective, if the demand is high – around 10,000 cars a year – it will be reasonable to start preparing for the production. Even the demand of 5,000 cars a year would probably be enough to prompt us to make this decision. I think if we saw a market with such a demand for electric cars, we would aim to tap into it,” Gennady Svidersky said.

Moreover, another important factor is foreign markets. BelGee ships cars to Belarus and Russia and is currently negotiating supplies with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and some other countries. Electric cars are in demand in the European market.

BelGee has recently received four Geely Geometry A electric cars. They were made in China, BelGee had nothing to do with their production. One of the cars will be tested at the enterprise, the other three will be sent to dealer centers. These cars are not for sale but for testing and analyzing the demand.

“We are tasked with testing the technical properties of the car and analyzing the possible demand for it in order to make a decision about next stages of developing this product line at our enterprise,” Gennady Svidersky noted. “We need to carry out comprehensive tests and see whether this car satisfies our demands and whether it will be competitive,” he added.

It is too early to speak about the price for the Geely Geometry A electric car in Belarus, because the company needs to know its prime cost and the situation in the market, Gennady Svidersky noted. Moreover, the price will increase due to the customs duty, value-added tax, and recycling fee. This is why Belarus needs to create more favorable conditions for mass use of electric cars. Appropriate documents are being drafted in Belarus, Gennady Svidersky added.

The Belarusian company is testing the Geely Geometry A version with the power reserve of 500km. The car has systems of adaptive cruise control, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and automated parking.