Trucks (Russian market)

Main article: Automotive market of Russia

Unmanned trucks in Russia

Main article: Unmanned trucks in Russia

Chronicle

2023

Growth of the Russian dump truck market by 7%. Chinese cars occupied 48%

At the end of 2023, the market for mine dump trucks in Russia increased in unit terms by almost 7% compared to 2022. The industry is showing positive dynamics, despite the difficult geopolitical situation and disruption of supply chains. This is stated in a study by Smart Consult, the results of which were released on July 11, 2024.

It is noted that due to sanctions, the positions of leading foreign brands, such as Hitachi, Komatsu, John Deere, Caterpillar and others, in the Russian Federation have significantly weakened. At the same time, the customs declarations of 2022-2023 still record the supply of a number of foreign manufacturers, including Caterpillar, Komatsu and Volvo. But in this case, we are talking about machines that have been in operation.

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On the other hand, supplies to the Russian market of Chinese-made equipment increased sharply: LGMG, Tone, Sany, Inner Mongolia North Hauler (NHL), Liugong, Zoomlion, Weichai, Sunward, Bell and others strengthened their positions. In addition, the purchases of the Belarusian BelAZ have risen. At the end of 2023, the total share of mine dump trucks from China amounted to over 48%, which exceeds the share of BelAZ. The high demand for Chinese equipment is due to its lower cost compared to European and American machines.

It is estimated that about 50% of mining dump truck purchases in 2023 in physical terms came from companies specializing in open-pit coal mining. Such machines are also in demand in the diamond and gold mining industries, non-metal industry, iron ore, mining and chemical and other areas. There are prospects for growing demand for mine dump trucks from companies specializing in road and trunk complexes and hydraulic structures.^[1]

Sales growth of semi-trailers by 55.1% to 43.8 thousand units

The volume of the Russian semi-trailer market (used with tractor trucks for transporting various types of cargo) in 2023 reached a historic maximum of 43.8 thousand units, which is 55.1% more than a year earlier. This is evidenced by the data of the automotive marketing agency NAPI, published in early March 2024.

According to Rosspetsmash estimates, cited by Kommersant, the share of domestic manufacturers in the Russian semi-trailer market in 2023 decreased to 72% from 79% in 2022, although their supplies increased by 44% to 21.4 thousand units. The thing is that shipments of imported semi-trailers in 2023 jumped even more - by 125% in units (up to 12.7 thousand units) and by 139% in money (up to $497 million). The largest deliveries of semi-trailers to the Russian Federation in 2023 fell on Turkey, Germany, Poland and China.

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According to Rosspetsmash analysts, the high growth rates of the Russian trailed engineering market are partly due to the introduction of a recycling fee. The result of the implementation of this mechanism was that domestic machine builders can now, if necessary, completely replace foreign semi-trailers in the domestic market in the vast majority of positions.

In order to realize this potential, it is important to further develop tools to protect the Russian market from imported products sold at prices on the verge or beyond cost. It is necessary that consumers can continue to use the opportunity to purchase Russian semi-trailers on preferential terms. It is necessary to equalize the conditions of competition with foreign companies and support carriers that are in a difficult situation due to the increase in costs of carrying out current activities.

Russian analogues are in almost all segments of trailed equipment, agrees the general director of the transport company Delko Sanjar Ashuraliev. But the quality of a number of domestic components and the timing of their manufacture are often inferior to imported counterparts, he said.^[2]

KamAZ tops the top best-selling trucks in Russia

KamAZ topped the top best-selling trucks in Russia at the end of 2023. It is confirmed by the data of JSC Pasport promyshlenny consulting published in January, 2024 by Minpromtorg (PPK; joint venture of Avtostat and electronic TCP systems).

According to the department's materials, in 2023, 28.2 thousand trucks under the KamAZ brand were sold in the Russian Federation, which corresponds to 20% in the total market volume. Next are the brands Sitrak (23,811 cars sold in 2023, 17%), Shacman (19,983 pieces, 14%) and FAW (12,565 pieces, 9%).

KamAZ tops the top best-selling trucks in Russia

KAMAZ M1946 (modification 54901) became the fourth most popular model among the first implemented in the Russian Federation in the freight transport segment. In 2023, about 2.6 thousand cars were sold. The leaders in the segment are FAW J7 (2.8 thousand models sold), Shacman SX4188YY381 and Sitrak C7H MAX (2.7 thousand each).

It is noted that in total in 2023, 140.2 thousand new trucks were sold in Russia, which is 74% more than in 2022 (80.8 thousand). At the same time, Tatarstan, where KamAZ is based, took third place among the regions in terms of sales of new tractors - 8.6 thousand cars. More only in Moscow (10.3 thousand) and the region (12.5 thousand).

KamAZ in 2024 expects to increase the production of trucks to 45 thousand per year. According to preliminary data, more than 42 thousand units were produced in 2023.

In 2023, most of the Russian truck market was occupied by foreign brands, mainly Chinese, - 66% to 34%. According to Avtostat Info, sales of foreign-made cars increased from 37.7 thousand to 95.4 thousand units, which is 153% more than in 2022. The share of domestic equipment also increased, but limited to 4%, rising from 47 thousand to 48.9 thousand units.

On the market of vehicles of the Russian Federation of categories M N in 2023

20% Truck Sales Growth in Q1

The Russian truck market in the first quarter of 2023 grew by more than 20%. KamAZ retains its leadership, but its share has decreased from 40% to 25%. The remaining places in the top 5 were taken by brands from China (15.2% of sales came from Sitrak, 13.5% from Shacman, from FAW - 8.9%, Howo - 6.8%).

Dealers say that sales of trucks from China are fueling the growth of the yuan - stocks at old prices have already been contracted. In terms of cost, domestic trucks win, but market participants talk about the insufficient volume of their supply.

At the end of March 2023, 11,292 new trucks were sold in Russia, which is 51.3% more than a year ago.

The leadership in truck sales is retained by the domestic brand Kamaz (2.9 thousand units). In the second position is the Chinese SITRAK (1.6 thousand units). The third, fourth and fifth places are also among representatives of the Chinese auto industry: Shacman/Shaanxi (1.5 thousand units), FAW (1 thousand units) and Howo (0.8 thousand units).

2022

Decrease in truck sales by 15% to 84 thousand units

Sales of new trucks in Russia in 2022 amounted to 84.2 thousand units, which is 15.6% less than a year earlier. This is evidenced by the data of Avtostat, published in January 2023.

According to the study, the share of Russian cars in the domestic truck market, although it decreased from 56.1% in 2021 to 54.5% in 2022, has remained high. In 2022, by 2021, the share of foreign car trucks has grown from 44 to 45.5%, respectively.

Dynamics of truck sales in Russia

At the same time, over the same period, the segment of Russian cars showed a more significant drop than the segment of foreign cars. Sales of Russian equipment fell in annual comparison by 18%, from 56,212 to 46,131 chassis, and sales of foreign trucks decreased by 12%, from 43,984 to 46,131 cars.

Considering the dynamics of the entire market for 2022, experts note that the peak of truck sales in the Russian Federation was recorded in December 2022 - 10,711 units. Since the beginning of the year (from February), the market went on a downward trend and in May "sank" to 4,324 cars, after which it headed for an increase in sales indicators.

At the federal level, the leader in the market for new trucks in 2022 was KamAZ, which, despite all the difficulties of 2022, sold 31,994 cars against 36,394 units in 2021 (-12%). The second place in the annual ranking was taken by the Chinese brand Shaanxi, which showed a multiple increase in sales by 2021 - from 2,781 to 9,641 cars.

GAZ, which showed a 46% decline (from 10,230 to 5,537 chassis), moved to third place in the sales rating. Experts of the Avtostat agency note that only Russian and Chinese models got into the Top 10, and there are equally. If all the "Chinese" demonstrate positive market dynamics, then for three domestic trucks it is negative - KAMAZ 5490 (-54%), GAZ Gazon NEXT (-45%) and KAMAZ 6520 (-6%).^[3]

Sales of domestic semi-trailers in Russia fell by 3% to 14.5 thousand units

At the end of 2022, 14.5 thousand domestic semi-trailers were sold in Russia (used with tractor trucks for transporting various types of cargo), which is 3% less than a year earlier. Such data in early March 2023 were cited by Rosspetsmash (combines data from 70% of segment manufacturers).

The production of such special equipment in the Russian Federation also decreased by 3% - to 15 thousand units. However, there was a 15 percent increase in money, up to 49 billion rubles, Kommersant notes with reference to the materials of Rosspetsmash.

In quantitative terms, the production of untented semi-trailers in Russia in 2022 increased by 20%, to 2,466 pcs., bitumen carriers - by 13%, to 593 pcs., trawls - by 11%, to 1,459 pcs., Container ships - by 9%, to 1,996 pcs., Grain carriers - by 4%, to 833 pcs.

At the same time, the production of isometric semi-trailers decreased by 41%, to 531 pcs., Tinted semi-trailers - by 20%, to 1895 pcs., assortment trucks - by 13%, to 586 pcs., dump semi-trailers - by 4%, to 2445 pcs.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade talks about a reduction in the market as a whole by 5.7%, output - by 3%. However, as noted in the department, in 2022 in the Russian Federation there was a slight increase in the production of trawls, grain carriers, container ships, bitumen carriers and others (for more details, see the schedule). The share of Russian semi-trailer manufacturers in 2022 increased to 77% against 63% a year earlier.

The entire market for trailers and semi-trailers in 2022 amounted to a little more than 27 thousand against 33.7 thousand units a year earlier, says Denis Kudryavtsev, general director of the Spetsavtoprom association. The reduction is mainly due to the cessation of supplies of foreign brand equipment, and a global decrease in demand was observed in the spring of 2022, when leasing rates increased, he said in a conversation with the publication.^[4]

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