Zetta (electric car)

2025: Russian electric car developer Zetta explained the reasons for its failure

In mid-October 2025, the Russian developer of electric vehicles Zetta (Zetta LLC) told why the project was a failure, and it was not possible to organize mass production of cars, despite the financial support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

The Zetta company was founded by former AvtoVAZ managers Denis Shchurovsky and Valdemar Wagner. The startup was developing a compact electric car on its own platform. It was assumed that the cost of the car would be about 450 thousand rubles, and it was planned to master its production by 2019. The Ministry of Industry and Trade allocated a subsidy of 285 million rubles for the implementation of the project, but the electric car did not go on sale.

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Фото: Zetta

As a result, the prosecutor's office of the Central District of the city of Togliatti opened a criminal case against Zetta on fraud on an especially large scale. As stated in the case file, in the period from December 2017 to December 2019, the company from the federal budget was provided with funds totaling over 284 million rubles in order to compensate for part of the costs of research and development work in priority areas of the civil industry. However, the company did not fulfill the agreements concluded with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on time, and the volume of work was from 21% to 47%. The Arbitration Court of the Samara Region ordered Zetta to return the subsidies (about 285 million rubles) and pay penalties in the amount of 283 million rubles.

The company itself claims that it was not possible to implement the project due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the sanctions imposed on Russia in connection with the emerging geopolitical situation. Zetta claims that its "products were focused initially on foreign counterparties" - it was planned to supply electric cars to foreign customers. But due to the tension that arose, foreign partners refused to cooperate.^[1]

2022: Zetta says cash shortfall

On August 24, 2022, Zetta denied the closure of the electric vehicle development project after information appeared on Telegram channels about the company's refusal to start production of cars.

No, we are not closed, we are a little frozen due to [lack - approx.] TASS Investments. There are problems from 2020 of different nature: first, COVID-19 now here are other problems. But no one closed anything, we work... We are ready, only there is not enough funding. We can start within a year with funding, - Denis Shchurovsky, co-founder, development director of Zetta, told TASS.

Zetta says lack of money, but project doesn't close

According to him, by the end of August 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will support the project. The department itself, commenting on the data on the possible closure of the Zetta project, reported the following:

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia does not have information on the termination of the project. Like any other private project, its implementation is associated with the need to attract investment. The enterprise is just looking for them.

Earlier in August 2022, the author of the Russian Car Telegram channel, Sergei Tsyganov, said that Zetta had closed the project of a mass domestic electric car, which was supported by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. According to him, in total, the authors of the Zetta project have assembled five electric vehicles, there is also one unfinished frame.

According to Denis Shchurovsky, only venture financing is suitable for the project, which is "not very developed" in Russia, and the company used to negotiate and find potential investors in Switzerland, Portugal and other countries. Agreements were concluded with some of them, but now all interaction has been terminated.^[2]

2020

Zetta will go for export

On October 15, 2020, it became known that Zetta electric cars will be exported. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, we are talking about sales of the car in Germany, as well as in India, Pakistan, Jordan and Egypt.

According to the ministry's forecasts, the budget electric car Zetta City Modul 1 is capable of arousing interest among foreign buyers and has sufficient competitiveness to enter markets outside Russia.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade also recalled that the ministry supported the Zetta project - in 2017-2018, subsidies were issued in the amount of 285 million rubles for scientific research and development (R&D ). The company also received 49.5 million rubles of a soft loan from the Monotown Development Fund.

Ministry of Industry and Trade: Russian electric car Zetta may go for export to five countries

According to the ministry, by mid-October 2020, certification of an electric car is at the final stage. The first electric vehicles of serial equipment have already been manufactured, and mass assembly technologies are currently being worked out.

Today, the volume of sales of electric vehicles in Russia is 1-3 thousand units per year, while in many developed markets the account goes to tens and hundreds of thousands. The reasons are still the same as 5 and 10 years ago: the cost of an electric car, the lack of infrastructure. These are the two main problems, "Ilya Nikonorov, director of marketing and PR at Mitsubishi in Russia, told TASS.

The creators of Zetta have moved their project to next year and are now actively negotiating with investors from Slovakia. In general, manufacturers are optimistic, but the German publication WirtschaftsWoche is skeptical of the project. German journalists do not believe in the prospects of the project, since no evidence has yet been provided of the high performance of the car promised by the company, the publication says.^[3]

Postponement of mass production of a Russian electric car

In early September 2020, it became known about the postponement of the mass production of the Russian electric car City Modul 1. Its developer, Zetta, was unable to receive a loan of 99.9 million rubles from the Industrial Development Fund (FRP), so it was forced to postpone the release of the product.

This was reported by Vedomosti with reference to the general director of Zetta Denis Shchurovsky and the representative of the fund. The release of the compact electric car City Modul 1 was supposed to start in Togliatti in early 2020, however, due to the pandemic of the new coronavirus COVID-19, the launch date was postponed by several months.

Zetta could not get a loan from the FRP and postponed the release of the Russian electric car

This year we will definitely not have time to start production. Launch plans are preserved, but postponed, - Shchurovsky told the publication.

The FRP under the Ministry of Industry and Trade exists to support industrial investment projects and issues super-lightweight loans for promising projects at the expense of the budget. So, Zetta wanted to get this money at 1% per annum.

The loan was required to complete the last stage of the creation of the proizvod­stvennoy site. It is clarified that over time, Zetta will be able to launch the assembly at its own expense or with the support of the pravitel­stva of the Samara region. The Fund, in turn, noted that the company can finalize the project, taking into account the comments of the FRP expert council and come up for re-consideration of the application. Earlier, Denis Shchurovsky said that in the event of a successful launch and implementation of the first Russian serial electric car, the company will begin developing an electric compartment.

The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov in early August 2020 said in an interview with TASS that he expects the start of mass production of electric vehicles at the end of the year. It is not reported how the protracted launch into production will further affect the cost of the electric car.

Preparing for the start of sales of electric vehicles

In mid-August 2020, it became known about preparations for the start of sales of the Zetta electric car. Its cost will begin with 550 thousand rubles, which is 100 thousand rubles higher than the minimum price, which was called the manufacturer a year earlier.

As the CEO of Zetta Denis Shchurovsky told TASS, the company intends to start selling an electric car in Togliatti by the end of 2020. By August, the enterprise in this city is undergoing pilot assembly.

Shchurovsky stipulates that it will be possible to start sales in the second half of 2020, subject to the approval of an application in the Industrial Development Fund and the allocation of funds. By August 18, 570 million rubles were invested in the project, another 100 million rubles are needed. After the approval of the application and the receipt of funds, the company will need 3-4 months to start production, he said. Half of the volume of Zetta machines produced is planned to be supplied abroad.

Sales of a domestic electric car for 550 thousand rubles are being prepared in the Russian Federation

The first Zetta electric car will be sold in three versions. The basic version will receive front-wheel drive and batteries that will allow you to drive without recharging up to 180 km in eco mode. The "middle" version will be a machine with a front axle drive and batteries designed for 500 km of mileage. The top modification of the electric car will be equipped with all-wheel drive, and its range will also be 500 km. The cost of the most expensive modification will be 950 thousand rubles.

Shchurovsky noted that Zetta can compete in price with cars equipped with ICE, and in the basic version, due to its energy efficiency, it can be used to move around the city even in the basic version.

The creators of the electric car promise that it will be possible to charge Zetta from almost any energy source. Both 220-380 W sockets and transformers are suitable.^[4]

2019: Electric car price - from 450 thousand rubles

On May 22, 2019, the cost of the Zetta car, which the company of the same name is called the first Russian electric car, became known. The basic version of the front-wheel drive electric car will cost 450 thousand rubles, RIA Novosti reports with reference to Zetta CEO Denis Shchurovsky.

All-wheel drive modifications, as well as cars with larger batteries, will cost more, but how much is not indicated. The Zetta body in all versions is three-door.

Russian electric car Zetta, as planned, will be on sale in December and will cost from 450 thousand rubles

The Zetta electric car is equipped with four Duyunov wheel motors - asynchronous six-phase electric motors operating from a three-phase electric grid. In total, the units are capable of producing 98 liters. from. and 800 N·m of torque. The motors are powered by a set of 10 kVt·ch lithium batteries that allow you to drive up to 200 km without recharging.

According to Shchurovsky's plans, Zetta will produce up to 15 thousand cars a year, of which approximately 10 thousand will be exported. Abroad, Zetta will not appear until 2020-2021.

It is also reported that the Zetta electric car, which was originally conceived as a car for people with disabilities, will consist of 99% Russian components - only batteries are planned to be ordered in China.

According to Denis Shchurovsky, by May 22, 2019, preparations for the production of electric cars were completed by 70%. In August, the car should go for certification, by September-October - to pass it, and in December it is planned to start selling serial copies.

The Zetta plant is located in Togliatti. The creators of the project consider it a startup and attract investment from individuals. Their total amount amounted to 450 million rubles.

Research and development work was carried out with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and funding was received from the Monotown Development Fund to prepare for serial production.^[5]

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