- The new EV rocks a pair of slim HED headlights and has short front and rear overhangs.
- In August, the Russian brand quietly previewed an electric sedan.
This is our first proper look at Russia’s new home-grown EV, known as the Kama Atom. The electric SUV has been in the works since as early as 2021 and extensive testing and development is underway, ahead of a market launch perhaps as early as 2025.
The new model is being brought to life by startup Kama, which has secured heavy funding from the Russian Direct Investment Fund and has strong ties to Atom Automotive Engineering and Technology in the Chinese city of Nanjing. With the Russian car market crippled since the escalation of its war with Ukraine in February 2022, it’s hardly a surprise that it’s looking to grow its local industry with its trusty friends from China.
Read: Chinese Automakers Move Into Russian Plants Abandoned By The West
We were provided with our first glimpse of the new EV in May 2023, but the vehicle in these photos from Kolesa appears quite a bit larger and has a different design. It’s unclear if this is what the concept has morphed into for production, or if this is a separate vehicle from the one from last year.
Visually, the vehicle has a somewhat similar profile to the MG 4 but is quite a bit taller and looks a little longer. The front end includes a pair of narrow LED headlights that look to be connected by a light bar. There’s no traditional grille and the main headlights are hidden within the front bumper. The Atom has quite an intriguing look and is certainly reminiscent of some recent EVs to come out of China.
2023 Atom show car
When viewed from the side, the short front and rear overhangs catch the eye, as does the relatively long wheelbase. The side windows also sit pretty high on the body. Few technical details are known about the new model, including what kind of battery pack it will have or what kind of electric motors it will use.
After some digging, we discovered that the Russian brand quietly previewed a new electric sedan known as the Lightning in August. A delivery van version of the Atom is also in the works.
