The Winter Olympic games in Sochi, Russia, are now underway, and official partner BMW is using the games to promote its two plug-in offerings, the i3 and i8. MORE

and Gazprom of Russia’s subsidiary Gazprom Gazomotornoye Toplivo (Gazprom) have signed a market development agreement focused on expanding the use of natural gas vehicles in Russia and the localization of manufacturing of Westport’s Emer brand natural gas products. Thirty-one regions in Russia have been selected for investment projects promoting the use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel. Westport Innovations Inc. MORE

Thanks to a single, sweeping decree, Russia could soon become a much more hospitable place for electric cars. Infrastructure Russia plug-in cars charging infrastructure Charging stationsThe country is currently home to just a small number of electric cars, and its charging infrstructure is relatively undeveloped. But the national government now requires that all gas stations in the country must be equipped for. MORE

Russia’s central bank recently warned about the growing financial risks to the Russian economy from Saudi Arabia encroaching upon its traditional export market for crude oil. The result is a heavier discount for Russia’s crude oil, the so-called Urals blend. MORE

Russia TDI Volkswagen diesel scandalThe ongoing diesel scandal means all Volkswagen and Audi TDI models are still absent from U.S. showrooms—and likely will be for some years to come. Even a new TDI diesel model that will be built only in the U.S. won't be sold here. That would be the Volkswagen Atlas TDI, a diesel version of the Atlas 7-seat crossover utility vehicle unveiled. MORE

The Nikkei reports that a Russian-Japanese liquefied natural gas project in Vladivostok will kick off with an eye toward producing 10 million tons of LNG a year, twice as much as initially planned. Japan is the world’s No. 1 LNG importer, taking in roughly 70 million tons in 2010. Following the nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s ’s (9501) Fukushima Daiichi power plant, demand for LNG from Japanese power utilities is expected to increase in the medium- to long term. MORE

Today, we have Tesla love from Russia, pricing information for the 2016 Land Rover diesel models, and a report that China is building electric cars and plug-in hybrids at rates exceeding those of the U.S. and Japan. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Find out why Russian plutocrats love the Tesla Model S, and why Tesla probably won't start. Today in Car News MORE

Ford Motor Company and Sollers OJSC have signed agreements to establish a 50-50-owned joint venture in Russia. Russia is set to become Europe's largest market for new vehicles by mid-decade and provides the Ford brand a huge growth opportunity. Ford Sollers will help to build the Ford brand in Russia and support profitable growth, while also strengthening the Russian automotive industry and its local supply base. MORE

While it may not have a world renowned car manufacturer to call its own, Russia is still keen to play a part in the green car race as indicated by the supervisory board of the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies approving the state corporation’s participation in a project to manufacture lithium-ion batteries. Tags: Green cars Latest news Lithium-ion batteries China RusNano Russain Corporation of Nanotechnologies Russia Thunder Sky MORE

Following three years of construction, the Volkswagen Group today inaugurated its new engine plant at Kaluga, Russia. Through the construction of the engine plant, Volkswagen is stepping up its industrial activities in Russia. This determines that, as of 2016, at least 30 percent of vehicles produced in Russia are to be equipped with engines manufactured locally. MORE

The company's products aren't officially sold in Russia, even though there is apparently quite a bit of demand. Russia Tesla Motors plug-in carsTesla Motors is working to establish its presence in many markets outside the United States, but there's one country the electric-car maker hasn't explored so far. Wealthy Russians are in love with the Tesla Model S, paying exorbitant. MORE

The agreement, which will strengthen both GE and Rosneft manufacturing and commercial capabilities, is part of GE’s plan to invest $1 billion in the oil and gas industry in Russia by 2020. As part of the agreement, GE and Rosneft also will pursue two other key initiatives: the establishment of a Research and Development Center and an Application Engineering and Training Center in Russia. MORE

Last week, something miraculous happened: after more than a year of being prepped for burial, Saab rose from the dead. Of course, there had been previous attempts to revive the quirky car company -- notably, one led by Chinese investors Pang Da and Youngman (subsequently, a Chinese bank and Youngman). However, General Motors 86ed those efforts MORE

Now The Financial Times has taken a look at Russia's growing lag in embracing renewable energy to offer a serious alternative to oil and. oil Politics Russia renewable energy fossil fuelsIt's difficult to invest in renewable, alternative sources of energy when state-run oil pays the bills. And it's even harder for renewable energy when gasoline is all but free, courtesy of the same state. MORE

The Volkswagen Group is expanding its capacities in Russia with the construction of a new engine plant in Kaluga, Russia. Russia is the primary strategic growth market in Europe for the Volkswagen Group. With the construction of the engine plant, Volkswagen is expanding its industrial commitment in Russia. This determines that, as of 2016, at least 30% of vehicles produced in Russia will be equipped with engines that were manufactured locally. MORE

Products from the new plant in Russia will be supplied to the growing European and Asian markets for use within the automotive sector and renewable energy markets, said Georgy Kolpachev, Managing Director of Rusnano. The new plant in Russia will manufacture a wide range of high capacity ultracapacitor cells and modules based on Nesscap’s proprietary technology. Batteries Russia MORE

Russia has no such an area, although there is a need. Every year in Russia, truck drivers are responsible for accidents that kill more than 2,000 people. It includes more than 150 organizations located in Russia, the CIS and abroad, including 12 major automotive manufacturing plants. Russian commercial vehicle manufacturer KAMAZ is proposing to create an artificial city as a testing ground for unmanned vehicles. The project will cost about 5 billion rubles (US$87 million). MORE

Black carbon Climate Change Emissions RussiaAccording to a new international study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 38% of black carbon in the Russian Arctic originates from transport and 35% from residential heating sources, while open fires, power plants, and gas flaring are responsible for only 12%, 9%, and 6% respectively. MORE

President Putin’s recent moves in the Middle East—to shore up Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria through deployment of combat aircraft, equipment, and manpower and build-out of air-, naval-, and ground-force bases, and the agreement in the last week with Iran, Iraq, and Syria on intelligence and security cooperation—could contribute to Russian efforts to combat the myriad negative pressures on Russia’s vital energy industry. Russia supplied about 30 percent (146.6 MORE

Petersburg plant Russia’s first to produce a hybrid. Also at the Moscow Motor Show, making their Russia debuts, are the new Nissan Juke and new Nissan GT-R NISMO. Russia is Nissan’s fifth-largest global market, where Nissan is the fifth-largest brand in the market—jumping from eighth place last year. Russia also is the only market in the world where Nissan Motor Co. Hybrids Russia MORE

The Volkswagen Group is the largest foreign automobile investor in Russia. billion) in local production and new models for Russia. billion) in Russia over the next three years. With the new engine plant, Volkswagen will ensure that at least 30% of the vehicles produced in Russia are equipped with locally manufactured engines by 2016. In the long term, the Volkswagen Group plans to sell 500,000 vehicles per year in Russia by 2018. MORE

Russia hydrogen Vintage Olympics The Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car will be showcased at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, but it won''t be the first hydrogen-powered vehicle to play a role in an Olympics. The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow are often remembered for the U.S.-led led boycott, but they also featured a curious automotive-historical footnote. It turns out that Soviet. MORE

Mercedes-Benz is starting construction on a new fully flexible passenger car plant in Russia. Daimler’s industrial commitment in Russia has so far has concentrated on commercial vehicle production. With a broad sales network and a large range of models, Mercedes-Benz 2016 was the automotive premium brand with the most registrations in Russia for the fourth year in a row. In the last ten years, the company has quadrupled its passenger car sales in Russia. MORE

Russia’s exploration activities, which were hit not only by plummeting oil prices but also by a targeted sanctions regime, suffered a double blow during this period. In 2015, only seven new hydrocarbon discoveries were made in Russia, three of them in the Baltic Sea. MORE

Both, it would seem, have incentive to do so, as each has lost over $100 billion in crude revenues in 2015—and Russia bears the extra burden of U.S. Both Saudi Arabia and Russia paint positive portraits on current and future economic performance. MORE

Russia is the latest suspect in a spate of diesel car breakdowns caused by clogged up filters. According to Reuters, imports of fuel from Russia are now in the frame as a suspected cause of the problem, although biofuel content is still also being considered a potential cause. MORE

Though US funding will be used to support projects in Russia, lessons learned from demonstration projects will be applicable in other Arctic nations, the EPA said. EPA will report these findings to the Arctic Council through the Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP) and to the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission through the Environment Working Group (EWG). In many countries, including Russia, the sulfur content in diesel fuel is 500 ppm or greater. MORE

The Volkswagen Group and GAZ Group have extended their manufacturing agreement for Volkswagen and ŠKODA models in Russia until 2025. The Volkswagen Truck & Bus Group with its brands MAN, Scania, and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus as well as the GAZ Group, which is the largest manufacturer in Russia of light-, medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, already have a long-standing partnership in the bus sector. Market Background Russia Vehicle Manufacturers MORE

KRET, part of Rostec, has developed the FORA universal charging stations for the rapid charging of electric vehicles in Russia and abroad. According to experts, Russia currently needs at least 500,000 electric charging stations of all types. Prototypes will be presented at the KRET pavilion during the 3 rd international forum Engineering Technologies-2014. MORE

While much of the nation's capital is preoccupied with the unpredictable Trump administration and its possible ties to Russia, the fate of the Environmental Protection Agency generates less news coverage. That's not to say there hasn't been news. Administrator Scott Pruitt is proceeding swiftly with a radical plan to restructure—critics. emissions Politics government EPA regulation air pollution science Donald Trump MORE

Boeing forecasts that air carriers in Russia and CIS will take delivery of 1,080 new airplanes over the next 20 years at an investment of $110 billion. Demand for airplanes also will be fueled by an increase in the number of people flying to, from and within Russia and CIS. MORE

Russia state-owned shipbuilder United Shipbuilding Corporation will form a $1.8B joint venture agreement with South Korea’s STX Shipbuilding to build a new generation of LNG (liquefied natural gas) facilities at the Novo-Admiralteysky shipyard in Saint Petersburg to meet the needs in the transport of LNG from Russian fields in the arctic and subarctic shelf. The JV agreement was announced on the second day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (“the Russian Davos”). MORE

If North Dakota were a country, it would rank fifth behind Russia, Nigeria, Iran, and Iraq on the list of worst natural-gas wasters, according to the World Bank. What does North Dakota have in common with Iran? An editorial in The Forum of Fargo-Moorehead blasted the North Dakota natural-gas industry for wasting valuable resources through flaring MORE

Electric cars Green cars Latest news Mitsubishi electric vehicles Kaluga Region Peugeot Citroen ROLF Import RussiaThe Russian electric vehicle market will soon receive a lift after the Government of the Kaluga Region signed a memorandum of understanding with ROLF Import, Mitsubishi’s exclusive distributer in the market. The parties are expected to collaborate on improving the natural environment of the Kaluga region. It will include information sharing among the groups regarding [.]. MORE

Russia was the largest producer of crude oil in 2009, surpassing Saudi Arabia.). Alliance Oil Company Ltd is a leading independent oil company with vertically integrated operations in Russia and Kazakhstan. Repsol and Alliance Oil Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form a joint exploration and production (E&P) venture that will serve as a growth platform for both companies in the Russian Federation, the world’s largest oil and gas producer. MORE

Petersburg, Russia. The new Ford Focus will be assembled in Russia in all three body styles: four-door, five-door and wagon. The Focus has been a popular vehicle in Russia since it first went on sale there in 1999. To date, more than 500,000 Ford Focus units have been sold in Russia. Since then, during seven years the Ford Focus was the best selling foreign made car in Russia, including in 2010. MORE

Green credentials Latest news Green cars japan LNG natural gas natural gas project RussiaAccording to reports in business daily The Nikkei, the Russian-Japanese liquefied natural gas project in Vladivostok will now aim to produce 10million tons of LNG every year – that’s twice the original plans. The report highlights that Japan is the world’s number one LNG importer and took in roughly 70million tons in 2010. However, following [.]. MORE

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Russia’s first hybrid vehicle has been revealed in Moscow and is on display to the public over the New Year holidays. Hybrid cars hybrid Mikhail Russia Unexim Yarovit YoThe concept car has been developed as a joint venture between Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s financial holding company, Unexim group and the carmaker Yarovit Motors. Called ‘Yo’ the hybrid model has a top speed [.]. MORE

Sales of new passenger cars and LCVs in Russia decreased by 457% in December 2015, with a 35.7% drop for the entire year, according to figures released by The Automobile Manufacturers Committee of the Association of European Businesses (AEB) in Russia. In December 2015, sales of new cars and light commercial vehicles in Russia decreased by 123,682 units to 146,963 cars, according to AEB AMC. MORE

An agreement has been signed between General Motors and Russian automotive manufacturer GAZ Group, to assemble the new Chevrolet Aveo at GAZ’s facility in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia. Chevrolet Green cars Latest news general motors Chevrolet Aveo GAZ new Chevrolet new Chevrolet Aveo RussiaThe vehicle will be produced from mid-2012 with about 30,000 expected to be assembled annually. They will be sold to the Russian market. According to Jim Bovenzi, the [.]. MORE

The Yo-mobil compact economy car, the first-ever Russian hybrid vehicle, debuted to the rest of Europe at September's Frankfurt Motor Show after it made its first appearance last October in Russia. Is it a concept car, or a real competitor to better-known hybrids like the Toyota Prius? Andrey Biryukov, General Manager of the new Yo-auto company MORE

Hybrid cars hybrid car production RussiaRussian car firm Yo-Auto has delayed its launch of its hybrid model to early 2015, according to The Moscow Times. Due to start production this year, the Yo-Mobile hybrid supermini is being delayed because of problems with a US subcontractor manufacturing the body of the vehicle, Yo-Auto’s chief executive Andrei Biryukov is reported to have [.]. MORE