Etalon Corporation has identified the production of electric transport (trolleybuses, electric buses, trams) as a priority direction for further development, taking into account European trends in the significant growth in sales of this type of passenger transport, said the president of the corporation, Volodymyr Butko.

“Today, we are primarily focused on the production of electric transport. Thanks to diesel transport, as we have grown as an enterprise, and then we want to work in the direction of electric transport. Today statistics show that in Europe, sales of municipal passenger transport have increased significantly, and maybe this the trend will also affect Ukraine,” he said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.

At the same time, he noted that the corporation has a line of electric transport, in particular, a regular trolleybus, an autonomous trolleybus and a pilot development of an electric bus with a length of 9.5 m.

“We already have an agreement with our Moldovan partner, the Informbusiness company (supplies electrical equipment), and I think we will make such an electric bus in 2024,” Butko said, noting that there are enough tenders for the purchase of electric buses in Ukraine.

In addition, according to him, the company is currently developing a three-section tram.

“We want to make it more modern, with a low floor in the middle section, and we are now looking for a partner. Most likely, this will be cooperation with Czech manufacturers,” he noted.

In turn, General Director of Chernihiv Automotive Plant Oleksandr Verkhulevsky noted that in 2023 the corporation offered its trolleybuses with dynamic charging not only with electrical equipment from Informbusiness, but also a new model with electrical equipment from the Ukrainian manufacturer Politekhnoservice.

“We hope to expand cooperation with Ukrainian suppliers, which will not only reduce the cost of the final product, but also increase the level of localization,” he noted.

Verkhulevsky recalled that Chernihiv Automotive Plant offered its trolleybuses at tenders financed by a network of funds from European financial organizations.

At the same time, the participants in the press conference again recalled that non-Ukrainian-made buses are most often purchased at these tenders, although the plant offers equipment much cheaper.

"We understand that the EIB and the EBRD primarily support their manufacturers, because there are more guarantees of delivery, although the price is twice as high. Yes, we have big risks, but people need to be transported today, and we offer to quickly produce everything and transfer European trading in the ProZorro Market, then everything will be clear. If you don’t want to lend to a Ukrainian company during the war, then you don’t need to declare that this is help. But tell the truth, while there’s a war, no one will lend to you,” Butko thinks.

In addition, he pointed out that announced tenders for the supply of trolleybuses to Ukrainian cities are constantly postponed or decisions are delayed, including due to complaints, and as a result they can last two to three years.

In particular, for the third time, the tender for the supply of 15 vehicles to Ternopil, in which the Turkish company won, was canceled, but during the period it was held, the prices for the equipment increased and it became unprofitable for them to supply.

“There are still tenders for Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Khmelnytsky, Lutsk, all are pending, and there are more than 200 trolleybuses,” he noted.

In addition, he reported that there is already information about Ukraine’s application for the purchase of 150 trolleybuses, which are allegedly produced in Moldova.

“But this is not a Moldovan body, this is the same Belarusian MAZ! We took part in an international tender in Moldova, but did not pass, and the Dnipro company Litan, which received bodies from Belarus, won. Then information appeared in their press, that the body is produced somewhere in Moldova - but we see that this is MAZ 203. That is, now we will also buy trolleybuses with Belarusian bodies?" the president of Etalon Corporation asked.

Etalon Corporation includes 21 enterprises, including Chernihiv Automotive Plant, which produces buses of various classes and trolleybuses. The main directions are production of motor vehicles, mechanical engineering, and warehouse logistics.