This spring, Russians can expect a sensational law on the localization of taxis, new formats of training in driving schools, a sale of dealer stocks, as well as the market debut of the Umo electric car. And the not-so-pleasant news is the rise in prices for tire fittings and an increase in tariffs for travel on toll roads. Details are in the material of Motor magazine.
On March 1, the law on taxi localization comes into force. From now on, only equipment that meets one of three criteria can be used for passenger transportation.
Among them, the car must be produced under a special investment contract (SPIC), concluded from March 1, 2022 to March 1, 2025, or with permission from the Russian government, if the SPIC was signed later. The localization level must correspond to 3200 points.
The system may seem complicated, but the essence of this reform is to ensure that Russians are driven by domestically produced cars, even if they are simply assembled in the country.
Previously, the Ministry of Industry and Trade published a preliminary list of such models. It includes: Lada Granta, Lada Iskra, Lada Vesta, Lada Niva Travel, Lada Niva Legend, Lada Aura, Lada Largus; UAZ “Patriot”, UAZ “Hunter”; Sollers SP7; Evolute i-Pro, Evolute i-Joy, Evolute i-Sky, Evolute i-Jet, Evolute i-Space; Voyah Voyah Free, Voyah Dream, Voyah Passion; “Moskvich 3”, “Moskvich 3e”, “Moskvich 6”, “Moskvich 8”.
Electric car Umo 5
Vladimir Novikov, press service of the mayor and government of Moscow
“Live” premiere of the Umo 5 electric car
The final list of taxi vehicles will be expanded. At least because the companies EM Rus and Yandex Electro launched the production of Umo 5 electric cars at the Moskvich automobile plant.
It is assumed that the main buyers of localized hatchbacks will be taxi drivers. It is promised that the electric car, created on the GAC Aion Y Plus platform, will be able to travel 400-420 km on a single charge.
An event in March will be the shipment of the first 100 such cars to taxi companies. And the general annual plan is 4,000 cars at a price of about 2.5 million rubles.
From March 1, driving school cadets will be able to take a theoretical course on the Rules of the Road remotely. Formally, “distance” was introduced even earlier, and now it has been enshrined in law.
At the same time, the number of hours of practical driving will increase (for passenger cars – from 38 to 42), and taxi companies and car factories will receive the right to train drivers.
The number of training programs will be reduced to 47 from the current 62, and the courses themselves will include new topics: for example, the design of the ERA-GLONASS emergency warning system.
GC “Avtodor”
Several sources immediately stated that the toll highway operator Avtodor will change tariffs. Travel on the M-11 Neva and M-12 Vostok will rise in price by 10-15%, on the Central Ring Road – by 5%, on the M-4 Don – by 10%, and on the rest – by an average of 10%.
However, as Motor’s experience shows, the state-owned company prefers to change tariffs not on the first of the month, but closer to the end of the month, so exact figures may appear later.
Earlier, the head of the Avtodor Group of Companies, Vyacheslav Petushenko, noted that the issue of increasing fares would be considered, and called inflation the main factor in updating price tags.
MAZ “Moskvich”
As of the end of February, more than 130 thousand new cars had accumulated in the warehouses of dealers and distributors. This is a very small stock, most of which can be sold out before the end of March.
So, last year, in the first month of spring, Russians bought 79,822 new cars. Now, given the general drop in sales, the result will be more modest, but, according to Motor magazine, about 70 thousand units will find their owners.
Of these 130 thousand, only a small part are 2026 copies. At the same time, models 2025, 2024 or even 2023 can be purchased with substantial discounts. What the editors of Motor magazine recommend using.
Gislaved
In the spring of 2026, Russian car owners will get an unpleasant surprise: seasonal tire fitting will rise in price by 10-15% compared to last year. The tire changing season itself usually begins in March.
Market participants cite a lack of specialists, increased costs, equipment upgrades, rising rental prices, and even a reduction in the number of workshops due to active residential development as the reasons for price changes.
As for tires, the spring update of price lists, which was quite traditional in the recent past, is no longer relevant: marketplaces allow motorists to find the most affordable options at any time.
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