Russia-owned Lada previews its first series-produced EV

Russian state-owned Lada resumed production of the Largus in June 2022 using a batch of spare parts it kept in storage. The carmaker has announced that the wagon, essentially a re-badged first-generation Dacia Logan, is being turned into its first series-produced electric car.

Lada published a photo of the model, which is called e-Largus, but it stopped short of releasing technical specifications. Development work is on-going and assigned to a team within the company's factory in the city of Izhevsk. The image suggests that Lada took roughly the same approach to design as other companies that have electrified a gasoline-powered car: the e-Largus features a black panel instead of a grille and blue exterior trim to denote its eco-friendliness. Interestingly, the model shown is a two-seater panel van. There's no word on whether a passenger-carrying model will be added to the lineup sooner or later. Photos of the back end and the interior haven't been released yet.

Renault-owned Dacia introduced the original Logan in 2004 and marketed it as a replacement for its 12-based cars in its home country. Offered as a sedan, a wagon and a pickup, the Logan was sold in numerous global markets and sometimes badged as a Renault. Buyers had a wide range of gasoline- and diesel-powered four-cylinder engines to choose from, but an electric model was not part of the portfolio.