It seems that Russian cars have become old enough that they may be the cause of frequent accidents on the roads. This is due to cars exceeding their expected average lifespan and irregular maintenance.
New News - Cars
The current economic crises have limited the supply of new cars and spare parts for cars in Russia, forcing many to give up maintenance and thus have to rely on their old cars.
According to Fit Service, a Russian network specializing in providing services to car maintenance centers, the average age of cars in the country is more than 14 years. In addition, the proportion of Russian cars that are 15 years or older has increased significantly over the past year, From 25% to 35%.
Citizens in Russia Only Take Care of Their Old Cars Without Maintenance
Tatyana Ovchinnikova, head of the Fit Service network, recently said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta:
The rapid increase in the average age of cars in Russia means that the process of performing maintenance will become more complex and expensive in the coming years.
She added that it is noticeable that the car fleet in Russia has become rapidly aging. Because car owners are keen to drive them for as long as possible due to the lack of many spare parts needed to perform comprehensive periodic maintenance and the high cost of purchasing new cars, So they only take care of it and use it only when needed.
Decrease in The Number of Cars in Russia
According to automotive consultancy Gruzdev Analyze, the number of cars fell by 822,000 cars in 2022. While official figures for 2023 have not yet been published, most analysts expect a similar decline. The size of the Russian car fleet is expected to shrink even more rapidly in 2024.
The average life expectancy of a car in Russia is approximately 10 years. However, there are still a lot of Russian cars today that are more than 15 to 20 years old, and have traveled between 300,000 kilometers to 400,000 kilometers or more.
Data issued by the Road Safety Center of the Russian Ministry of the Interior revealed an increase in the number of traffic accidents during the current year, as the report stated that 96,800 road accidents occurred during the year 2023, that is, approximately 5% higher than the previous year.
China is The Only Hope For The Russian Cars Market
It is noteworthy that in light of the continued Western economic sanctions imposed on Moscow, China is the only exporter of cars to Russia, but its products are sold at very high prices.
According to data from Wards Intelligence, 936,005 light vehicles were sold in Russia in 2023, an increase of 36.2% compared to last year. Chinese brands Chang’an, Chery, FAW, Great Wall, Guangtong, Lifan, Zhejiang Geely has a remarkable increase in sales year on year.
Source: Wards Auto
