MOSCOW

Sales of the first-ever Russian electric car started in the country on Wednesday, according to carmaker MotorInvest.

"MotorInvest announces the start of sales of Russian electric vehicles Evolute. These are the first electric vehicles produced in Russia for Russian consumers. The model of the Evolute line – the i-Pro sedan – is already available for purchase from official dealers of the brand," said a company statement.

The launch of the first Russian mass-produced electric vehicles under the Evolute brand took place at the end of September in the western Lipetsk region.

The i-Pro sedan was the first model to some off the assembly line for sales.

The Evolute i-Pro sedan is equipped with a traction battery with a capacity of 53 kW and a power reserve of 420 kilometers/261 miles (according to the NEDC cycle). The electric motor boasts 150 horsepower.

The car’s price tag starts from 3 million rubles (about $50,000). MotorInvest's dealer network covers nine regions of Russia: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, and Sochi.

By the end of the year, MotorInvest plans to also deliver the iJoy crossover and the iVan minivan for sales. The models will list at 3.49 million rubles, and 2023 is set to see the i-Jet cross-coupe.

In total, by the end of the year, the company intends to produce 2,000 electric vehicles.