ST. PETERSBURG, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Automobile production in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, is expected to nearly double in 2026, a senior local official said on Wednesday.
"The city's car output is projected to reach around 50,000 units this year, compared with 42,000 in 2023. Next year, production could almost double, reflecting the potential for further growth," Alexander Sitov, chairman of St. Petersburg's Committee for Industrial Policy, Innovation and Trade, was quoted by TASS as saying.
Sitov said mass production at the former Toyota plant in St. Petersburg will start in early or mid-2026, with an initial annual output of about 1,000 vehicles.
While Sitov said mass production at the former Toyota plant will begin in early or mid-2026 with an initial annual output of about 1,000 vehicles, several other factories in St. Petersburg are also resuming operations.
According to authorities, the AGR Automobile Plant continues to produce Solaris models, and full-scale production at the former General Motors plant is set to restart in 2026. Also, the Avtozavod St. Petersburg plant, formerly operated by Nissan, began mass production of Lada Iskra vehicles in September.
