Meanwhile, in Russia, Kalashnikov has decided that it wants a slice of the electric vehicle pie.
The infamous Russian manufacturer of the most widely used assault rifle in history announced its intentions in 2018. It put an EV motor inside the restomod of a Soviet-era hatch, and it was beautiful. Actually, it was horrible to look at, but would you say that to Kalashnikov?
Thankfully, Kalashnikov moved away from that design and is now working on something a little more urban-friendly.
Kalashnikov recently filed a few images at Russia's patent office. We've seen the Izh UV-4 before, but the three-wheel concept is new.
The UV-4 looks like the lovechild of a Renault Twizzy and Gordon Murray's T.27 electric car from 2011. It's exactly what you'd expect from a maker of military equipment. There's zero fluff attached to the body. It has four exposed wheels and a bodyshell in the middle with military-like doors. Despite its 133.8-inch overall length, 59-inch width, and 70-inch height, it looks ready for battle.
Reports suggest the interior will be equally basic, but it will likely have air conditioning, some sort of infotainment system, and an adjustable suspension. If this car makes its debut without gun racks, it would be an absolute waste.
For power, it uses a single electric motor producing 67 hp. It doesn't sound like much, but the entire car only weighs 1,422 pounds. The top speed is also limited to 50 mph, which should help it achieve a claimed range of 93 miles. In a previous press release, Kalashnikov also stated that the UV-4 is a low explosion hazard, which is nice. We prefer our cars to not explode.
The unnamed three-wheeler is even smaller. It has the same front end, but the doors are removed, leaving the cabin exposed. Think of it as a modern BMW C1, but with two seats. Daymak's three-wheel EV seems to be more extreme, however.
Kalashnikov did not provide an on-sale date, but the marketing strategy should be epic. "Buy UV-4, or we shoot you in foot."
Pricing-wise, Kalashnikov is aiming at the bottom-end of the EV market. We expect around half of what you'd pay for a Hyundai Ioniq Electric or a Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop, though we doubt the car will ever be sold in the US.