The vehicle manufacturer Etalon Corporation sold about 250 new buses in 2024, which is 20.5% less than in 2023, said Vadym Shkarupin, Director of Etalon Auto Trading House.

"Compared to last year, our sales have fallen by 20.5%, while the new bus market in Ukraine has shrunk by 22%. First of all, the drop in sales is due to the rising cost of buses, due to the rise in the cost of materials, electricity, logistics, and they have grown by about 20%. And since 90% of the new bus market are school buses, sales volumes have fallen due to rising prices for them," he noted at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.

Shkarupin recalled that a state subsidy of UAH 1 billion was allocated for the School Bus program in 2024 and an additional UAH 220 million in October, but "if bus prices had not risen, more could have been bought."

In addition, among the problems that influenced the drop in sales, Director of Chernihiv Automotive Plant Serhiy Borodukha noted that purchases of school buses began only in July, and deliveries should be completed by the end of the year.

"Such delivery times required working in a very intensive mode, since accumulating buses in warehouses before the start of purchases is risky due to the systematic shelling of Ukrainian territory by the aggressor," he emphasized.

According to him, in 2024 the plant produced 307 buses, which is approximately 10% less than in 2023. In addition, this year the plant produced four trolleybuses.

Etalon Corporation includes 12 enterprises, including Chernihiv Automotive Plant (ChAZ), which produces buses of various classes and trolleybuses. The main areas are the production of motor vehicles, mechanical engineering, and warehouse logistics.