AvtoVAZ, Russia’s largest car manufacturer, has faced a shortage of paint, Vedomosti magazine reported, as cited by The Moscow Times.
AvtoVAZ now produces Lada models only in white, black and dark green colors, Vedomosti reports.
“We expect to solve this problem in the coming weeks,” said a representative of AvtoVAZ about the lack of paint.
“The lack of paint and varnish materials does not affect the planned production volumes and is of a short-term nature. The situation will be stabilized in the near future,” the Ministry of Industry and Trade promised.
According to dealers, the availability of cars in other colors is possible “no earlier than March.”
One of the regional Lada dealers noted that AvtoVAZ started painting Granta cars in two colors, black and white, from November to December 2022.
According to its information, only these two shades will be available until at least the end of the first quarter of 2023, but the manufacturer did not say what will happen in April.
Other car colors are now available “in small quantities,” although previously Lada cars were available in six to eight colors, according to an AvtoVAZ dealer.
The automotive sector is one of the most affected by sanctions
The current situation will not affect demand, because before this shortage, Russians bought mostly white and black cars.
The limited choice of colors is not the main problem, because Lada lacks more important components, – recalls the executive director of AvtoVAZ Serhii Udalov.
The materials used to paint cars have come under Western sanctions, according to consultants from the automotive industry, quoted by Vedomosti.
Currently, Russia is looking for substitutes for European raw materials in Asia, South America and Korea.
After foreign automakers left Russia in 2022 amid the war in Ukraine, AvtoVAZ became the market leader.
The automotive industry was one of the economic sectors most affected by the war-related sanctions. (Photo source: Dreamstime)
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Source: Hot News
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