
The Maker of the AK-47 Is Entering the Electric Car Market - Ibethewalrus
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-24/kalashnikov-takes-aim-at-electric-cars-with-retro-prototype
======
ObsoleteNerd
There's so much wrong with this car there's absolutely no way it goes to
market.

It's a publicity stunt or a one off modified car for brand awareness. Not a
production model.

It's an old car with some cheap eBay headlights stick on (I had those lights
on a modified motorcycle I built up), cheap aftermarket wheels, dumped
suspension so low the front wheels won't turn. It has the original mechanical
door handles, front end fab work is atrocious and nothing lines up right.

Just like SEMA cars, this was just made to provide some pretty photos and
spread some PR.

~~~
falcolas
If the car is affordable and reliable, why wouldn't it go to market?
Mechanical door handles, sure they aren't pretty, but they can be maintained
by anyone with basic tools.

Not every electric car needs to be shiny and expensive.

~~~
martythemaniak
Soviet cars were "reliable" in the sense that yes, they broke down very often
and in predictable ways, so that most people could fix them.

~~~
falcolas
In a, perhaps hypocritical, way I would find this preferable to some of the
Tesla stories where a buyer can't use their car for months on end while parts
are sourced and the car is repaired by a "certified" shop.

I find it far preferable to the car manufacturer shutting you out of your car
entirely via a remote call.

~~~
pkaye
What about something in between like a Toyota Camry? Very reliable and easy to
get repaired if needed?

~~~
maxerickson
That's not in between though, it's on the opposite end of 2 different axes.

------
verytrivial
I think a cursory investigation will show this is more likely just the company
trying to show _something_ to correspond to the large capital injection it is
about to receive from "investors" / cronies. (speculation, but _look_ at that
thing ...)

~~~
madeuptempacct
This is the only plausible explanation to me as well.

------
geoka9
They also make a next-gen tank that doesn't go under its own power[1], a next-
gen fighter that nobody wants[2] and a nuclear-powered missile with a reactor
that never starts[3]. Not to mention conventional cars that people are happy
to ditch as soon as they save enough money for a used foreign one.

I wouldn't worry if I were Tesla.

[1][https://www.smh.com.au/world/russias-t14-armata-tank-
breaks-...](https://www.smh.com.au/world/russias-t14-armata-tank-breaks-down-
before-its-parade-debut-20150508-ggwt18.html)

[2][http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20347/its-no-
surprise-i...](http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20347/its-no-surprise-
india-finally-ditched-its-stealth-fighter-program-with-russia)

[3][https://taskandpurpose.com/russia-lost-nuclear-cruise-
missil...](https://taskandpurpose.com/russia-lost-nuclear-cruise-missile/)

------
mikestew
Following the fine tradition of such companies as British Small Arms, or as
your granddad knew them, BSA: maker of fine British motorcycles.

Er, wait. BSA went out of business. Not a great precedent for those wishing to
transition from firearms to motor vehicles. And from the looks of that thing,
they'll follow BSA's trail right to the end.

~~~
bootlooped
Husqvarna and Saab are two good examples of weapons companies making motor
vehicles. I'm not saying Kalashnikov Concern will or won't follow that path
though.

~~~
mikestew
Well, Saab still at least makes military equipment.

Husqvarna? TIL that their logo is a gun sight. :-)

~~~
Yetanfou
One of the treadle sewing machines here in the house comes from 'Husqvarna
Vapenfabriks (armament factory) Aktiebolag (incorporated company)'. Armament
factories often entered other fine-mechanical fields, most likely because they
could use the skills learned in designing and producing weapons elsewhere as
well as to provide a steady stream of income which was not as dependent on the
winds of war.

------
fhood
Nothing screams quality like designing your car along the lines of some of the
worst cars ever produced.

~~~
Viliam1234
Maybe the goal, just like with AK-47, is to kill a lot of people.

------
growlist
I love it, finish aside. Contemporary car design leaves me cold. I'd much
prefer a return to the boxy style of the 80s, or this slightly curved box
style of the 70s (yes yes I know, safety regs etc prevent it...)

~~~
wilsonnb3
Agreed. Personally, I think car design peaked with the Volvo 240.

It's just so majestic. Especially in bright colors like orange.

[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/19...](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/1975_Volvo_245_DL_wagon_
--_09-05-2011_front.jpg/1024px-1975_Volvo_245_DL_wagon_--
_09-05-2011_front.jpg)

~~~
lightbyte
Taste is very subjective. I'm glad they don't make cars like that Volvo
anymore, it's probably the ugliest looking thing I've ever seen.

------
mv4
It's not particularly hard to make an electric car (there are plenty of DIY
projects).

It is, however, extremely hard to make an electric car that's safe, ergonomic,
attractive - and also performs well.

As much as I admire the original AK-47 design, I don't believe the firm is
capable of making electric cars. Or robots.

[https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-
trending-45282805](https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-45282805)

------
gmiller123456
>The Maker of the AK-47

Should be "A" maker of the AK-47. The AK-47 is an open design and anyone can
make it. I know there was an attempt to trademark the name a few years ago,
but there's still lots of companies using the name.

~~~
flyingfences
To be fair, though, Kalashnikov Concern, formerly IzhMash, is the canonical
descendant of the AK heritage.

~~~
vasili111
Other factories in ex-Soviet Union have technical documentation and the right
to produce AK of different modifications.

------
sizzzzlerz
No doubt you'll be able to buy cheap knock-offs in certain 3rd world street
markets and bazaars within a month.

~~~
nacs
Mass production of electric car components wouldn't be such a bad thing..

~~~
bonestamp2
Agreed, if they do it right. The big risk is that many knock-off electronics
use questionable components and methodologies that can lead to fires when you
mix that with the level of current needed for an electric car.

------
m-i-l
My first thought was - why not go one step further and put a modern battery in
an original electric vehicle from the 1970s like the Enfield 800 [0]? Then on
reading the Enfield 800 wikipedia page I find there's a hobbyist doing just
that [1].

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield_8000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield_8000)

[1] [http://www.flux-capacitor.co.uk](http://www.flux-capacitor.co.uk)

~~~
WorldMaker
After being profiled about this car on Robert Llewellyn's Fully Charged
(YouTube show) [0][1], Johnny Smith eventually joined Fully Charged as a
regular co-host, and his enthusiasm for both classic electric and modern
electric cars is infectious, and fun to watch.

[0] [http://www.fullychargedshow.co.uk/](http://www.fullychargedshow.co.uk/)
[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/user/fullychargedshow](https://www.youtube.com/user/fullychargedshow)

------
sgt
I expect it to be reliable electric car with plenty clearance between any kind
of moving parts, and that the electric motor never jams. But if it does jam
(which it will), it must be easy to take a part with a 10mm wrench.

~~~
vorpalhex
It'll be half the price of the fancy American version, it'll be repairable in
a cave with nothing more than basic welding equipment and every single country
will make their own slightly modified version of it.

------
avaku
My uncle in the 80s had the same car, with all the same craftsmanship,
including door handles etc. The only thing new in this design are the front
lights, and you can see they are of pretty low quality, crooked lines etc.
This would be one of the state funded projects, where most of money will be
stolen, again.

~~~
lnsru
In this article: “...CV-1 on a 1970s Soviet hatchback, the IZh 2125
"Kombi"...” I would say, it’s bigger challenge for them to create modern car,
than an electric one.

~~~
mladenkovacevic
I don't know.. that chassis is the best looking thing on this car... can I
just get that with a regular combustion engine and without the shitty
headlight kit?

~~~
lnsru
I know the guy who knows the guy that sells Cold War era vehicles to the
western countries. Personally I wouldn’t buy it. And it might be expensive,
because it’s old and rare.

~~~
mladenkovacevic
Was just reading about this "retro-mod" of a GAZ Volga that cost $500,000

[https://www.caranddriver.com/features/volga-v-12-coupe](https://www.caranddriver.com/features/volga-v-12-coupe)

------
TACIXAT
I love the front of this thing but the back is absolutely hideous [1]. I'd be
vying for one if it was a flat hatchback.

1\. [https://images.carscoops.com/2018/08/cbfacc26-kalashnikov-
cv...](https://images.carscoops.com/2018/08/cbfacc26-kalashnikov-cv-1-8.jpg)

~~~
wilsonnb3
I like it. I'm a big fan of cars that look very unique, even if they are also
hideous.

------
trumped
Here is a non-amp link... it loads much faster for me:
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-24/kalashnik...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-24/kalashnikov-
takes-aim-at-electric-cars-with-retro-prototype)

------
projectramo
This seems like a ploy to confuse people who like to filter their investment
decisions through a political lens.

------
bdz
Looks like the good old Lada 2105

~~~
dchest
It's Izh Kombi
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izh_2125](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izh_2125)

Lada 2105 is a derivative of Fiat 124. This Izh is a pure Soviet creation
(based on Moskvitch model).

~~~
ascii_only
Izh based on Moskvich 412. Which is derivative of Opel Kadett B.

~~~
dchest
Moskvitch 400 was based on Opel Kadett. Moskvitch 408, and then 412, were not.

------
ArchTypical
Just because they make the AK-47, doesn't mean they know anything about
mechanical innovation or even vehicular engineering. They definitely don't
know anything about marketing from the look of the car.

~~~
Sharlin
They're trying to tap into the Soviet nostalgia that's surprisingly prevalent
in Russia.

~~~
vasili111
It is just Russian propaganda for internal use as with Russian Operating
System, Russian smartphone and Russian tablet.

------
wereHamster
The car doesn't particularly aerodynamic. Why would someone waste that much
energy nowadays?

~~~
hfdgiutdryg
If you're driving mostly city streets with heavy traffic, I don't think
aerodynamics is a big concern. But mostly I'm sure it's just a non-functional
design meant to grab headlines.

------
ldiracdelta
Do I get to be a Bond villain if I buy one?

------
JakeTyo
Builds smartphone from Adafruit parts.

This baby's gonna give Apple a run for their money!

------
r3bl
Non-AMP version:
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-24/kalashnik...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-24/kalashnikov-
takes-aim-at-electric-cars-with-retro-prototype)

~~~
sctb
Thanks, updated!

------
h4b4n3r0
It’s a gag car. Bloomberg should know better.

------
pwaai
I have never seen anything with "Made in Russia" on it. What happens when
nobody wants their oil?

~~~
madeuptempacct
They lease you land.

But I really can't think of anything produced in Russia besides weapons,
rockets, and nuclear powerplants.

~~~
supergirl
where do you live? obviously you wouldn't see any russian things in US for
many reasons...

~~~
madeuptempacct
Why not? You see US and Chinese products in Russia and Ukraine, why not vice-
versa? "But the dollar is so expensive", etc is not a legitimate argument.

Russians buy American cars, tools, etc.

~~~
supergirl
What does this have to do with anything? My point is if you don’t have russian
products in the US (for whatever reasons) this doesn’t mean other people don’t
have russian products

