KAMAZ and SUEK Continue Cooperation
On 28 November 2005 the delegation of Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEC) arrived to KAMAZ Inc. The aim of a visit is to sign one more protocol on cooperation between KAMAZ Inc. and SUEK Inc.
A new interaction scheme called “A Full Service Pack” is being worked out. The main point of the new scheme is maintainability of KAMAZ vehicles. This also includes presale preparation, warranty repair, after-warranty service of trucks by dealers. There were the following issues to discuss: delivery of vehicles on the terms of leasing and installments, determining need of KAMAZ trucks for SUEK within 2006 – 2010. It is planned to establish service centers for KAMAZ vehicles based on transport enterprises of SUEK Inc.
Successful cooperation with this partner acknowledges reliability and stability of KAMAZ Inc. as SUEK is the largest Russian coal association providing the inner market with 30% of coal and exporting near 20%. SUEK Inc. is the only Russian enterprise that is among ten top world coal production leaders.
Wednesday, 30 November 2005
KAMAZ in Turkmenistan
At the 10th anniversary international “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan 2005” show KAMAZ successfully presented its products. The exhibition was organized together with the dealer of KAMAZ Inc. in Turkmenistan - the individual enterprise “Yaraw”.
The KAMAZ stand received a lot of favorable reviews from participants and visitors of the exhibition. The Company presented KAMAZ-6520 heavy-duty dump truck with road train. This truck made a pleasant impression on partners from Turkmenistan.
KAMAZ products, especially road machines, cranes, truck mixers, dump trucks and heavy family prime movers provoked interest of the representatives of oil field, farming, road construction and power ministries of Turkmenistan.
Tuesday, 29 November 2005
2006 DAKAR: EXTREMELY RALLY-RAID
The organisers of the Euromilhoes Dakar unveiled the route of the 28th edition of the race, which will take place from the 31st of December to the 15th of January next. The rally, with entries completely full since the month of July in all categories, will set off for the first time from Portugal, with 508 teams in the race. To be precise, 240 motorbikes, 188 cars and 80 trucks, along with 240 assistance vehicles, will be in Lisbon from the 28th of December for scrutineering and the start of the race.
After two new style specials on European soil, as competitors will be timed over approximately 200 kilometres, the caravan will arrive in Africa where it will cross Morocco, Mauritania (rest day in Nouakchott), Mali, Guinea and Senegal, the ultimate finish of the race being judged on the banks of Lac Rose. This long trip - a total of 9043 km includs almost 5000 km of special. Moreover there has been fixed a speed limit up to 160 km/h.
In the truck category, Kamaz, who have dominated the competition with Tchaguine and Kabirov since 2002, will fight off counter-attacks from DAF, Tatra, Hino and Mercedes.
Friday, 25 November 2005
"ZF-KAMA" is German Quality and KAMAZ Scale
On 23 November 2005 in Naberezhnye Chelny there took place celebration of opening Zahnradfabrik AG German Company and KAMAZ Inc. joint venture. For the first time in Russia there is being organized industrial production of high-technology products of world standard.
Joint venture of Zahnrad Fabrik and KAMAZ Inc., "ZF-KAMA" Ltd.(ZF KAMA GmbH) is the first production established on KAMAZ facilities with the assistance of foreign company and manufacturing products under its trademark.
Victor Khrystenko, Minister of Energy and Industry of Russia and Chairman of board of directors of KAMAZ Inc., Mintimer Shaimiev, President of Tatarstan Republic, Wolfgang Vogel, member of ZF Friedrichschafen AG Board, Werner Engel, sales department Manager of transport and special vehicles and Horst Decker, Russian division Manager will take part at the joint venture inauguration ceremony. The guests are Boris Aleshin, RF federal industry agency Manager, Andrey Reus, Industry and Energy Deputy Minister, Vitaliy Savelyev, Deputy Minister of RF economic development and trade and other high-ranking officials of RF and RT.
On January 27, 2005 at Zahnradfabrik in Friedrichschafen (Germany) Sergey Kogoghin, Director General of KAMAZ Inc., and Wolfgang Vogel, member of ZF Board and vice-president of transport and special vehicle, signed all necessary documents.
Zahnradfabrik has 51% of its authorized capital in "ZF-KAMA" venture, whereas 49% belong to KAMAZ Inc. Equipment mounting was finished on November 11, 2005. The project presupposes assemblage of up to 10 000 gearboxes per year. In future the joint venture will develop production of axles and transfer boxes.
Wednesday, 23 November 2005
“Desert Challenge” – Just the Beginning
KAMAZ racers became the first and the second in their class at “Desert-Challenge” rally-raid that run in UAE.
At the last fifth stage of the rally the crew of “Dakar” many time winner Vladimir Tchaguine passed the 307 km long speed stage in 2 hours 16 minutes 50 seconds. The third was Mercedes of Pietro Fogliani. He was 30,5 hours behind the leader.
At the total rally stages among trucks the crew of Vladimir Tchaguine came 18 hours earlier than its pursuers. Sergey Reshetnikov crew conquered the silver of “Desert Challenge”.
“We are undoubtedly glad to this consecutive success. But we consider the rally only as one of the stages of KAMAZ-Master preparation program to Dakar-2006. Sergey Reshetnikov mastered sand driving technique on the battle vehicle in real rally conditions. That was hard but he managed. We are sure he will be able to drive racing truck at “Dakar” and substitute Ilgizar Mardeev who has not yet recovered, ” - Semyon Yakoubov, the crew head said.
“Vladimir Tchaguine except that he always had to insure his companion was fulfilling the most difficult task – conducting various trials of newest modification of our racing KAMAZ truck, design of which has the latest developments. He tested the truck at its full strength including beyond limit loading. The truck passed the tests. We had worked efficiently enough at its modernization this year, and more – we have correctly defined the basic directions for technical modernization of a vehicle” – he added.
Tuesday, 15 November 2005
3 000 Chassis For KAMAZ Buses
On 11 November 2005 KAMAZ Automotive Plant assembled the 3 000 bus chassis since 2001.
The assembly of KAMAZ bus chassis started in 1999. Since 2001 it has become one of the most actively developing departments of the Company. There were assembled 909 chassis in 2004 vs. 650 of the same period of 2003. Within 10 months of 2005 there were produced 947 buses. At the moment there have been developed and launched into production 8 basic models of NefAZ buses on KAMAZ chassis of 5 classes: urban, suburban, intercity, in Northern style and tourist. They are operated in more than 30 regions of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. There is being carried out the preparation for manufacturing of small capacity buses.
Friday, 11 November 2005
KAMAZ Vehicles in Al Kuwait
At international show in Al Kuwait, opening on 9 November, KAMAZ Inc. demonstrates its most famous in that region vehicle, which represent almost all families of the Company’s model range.
This is caused by the fact that the countries of the Middle East successfully move ahead not only oil development but also many other economic fields and transportation infrastructure. That is why demand on vehicles aimed to meet various requirements is constantly growing. KAMAZ Inc. offers its customers the following models: KAMAZ-6520 (6x4) dump truck and chassis, KAMAZ-6460 (6x6) prime mover, KAMAZ-43253 (4x2) side prime mover, chassis and dump truck, all wheel drive KAMAZ-4326 (4x4) and KAMAZ-43118 (6x6). Off road KAMAZ vehicles differ from its analogous models of other companies by its increased maneuverability, stability and safety. In harsh environment conditions the vehicles are able to pass the obstacles, which other vehicles cannot do.
The above mentioned other characteristics of all wheel drive KAMAZ trucks make them irreplaceable in local climate and road conditions. All the models presented at the show are equipped with Euro-2 emission level engines and manufactured in a special “tropical” version. Kuwait transporters are familiar with KAMAZ products and managed to get sure in their high exploitation characteristics. The first KAMAZ trucks appeared in Kuwait in 1989. Till 2004 there were exported over 300 vehicles. Sale breakthrough came in the current year when the Company in an uneasy competitive fight won municipal tenders for delivery of road-building vehicles. KAMAZ covered two thirds of the country’s demand for this class of vehicles.
Tuesday, 08 November 2005
A Rehearse before “DAKAR” Rally
KAMAZ-Master team will take part in “Desert Challenge” final round of World Cup Ñhampionship on off road rallies of 2005.
This rally, taking place in UAE already for the 15 times, starts in Abu-Dhabi on 9 November 2005 and finishes in Dubai on 14 November. It includes 5 stages with total route of 2 260 km, 1 583 km of which are speed stages. This year two KAMAZ crews piloted by Vladimir Tchaguine (Stanislav Konopko as the navigator and Eduard Nikolajev as the mechanic) and Sergey Reshetnikov (Aidar Belyajev as the navigator and Sergey Savostin as the mechanic) are going to conquer the sands of Arab Emirates on KAMAZ-4911 EXTREME truck.
KAMAZ-Master team has been the participant of “Desert-Challenge” rally since 1999. The sands of UAE have become really gold for KAMAZ racers: they have lost none of the world first places at the rally within this time.
Tuesday, 08 November 2005
KAMAZ Products at Kazakhstan Exhibition
“Autoshow-2005” finished in the largest city of Kazakhstan Republic Almaty. KAMAZ Inc. was a significant participant of this exhibition.
The subject-matter of the Company’s products show was defined by the rapid development of construction and extractive industries and also intercity and international vehicle transportation in Central Asia. All exhibits are the developments of the recent years aimed to meet a growing demand of a customer. These are KAMAZ-65117 (6x4) side prime mover, KAMAZ-65116 (6x4) prime mover, KAMAZ-65115 dump truck, two dump trucks and one truck mixer on KAMAZ-6520 (6x4) chassis, and also KAMAZ-53605 (4x2) dump truck, a truck crane SKAT-40 on KAMAZ-6540 (8x4) chassis, van on KAMAZ-4308 (4x2) chassis and 5299-010-15 city bus.
Kazakhstan remains one of perspective markets for marketing of KAMAZ products. KAMAZ vehicles fleet in this country constitutes 65 000 units and its share in total trucks fleet is 57%. Within the last six years KAMAZ truck sales in Kazakhstan increased by 11 times, and spare parts sale by 15. In 2005 it is planned to market not less than 3 000 vehicles. In the Republic there are 14 KAMAZ certified servicing companies, 9 of which Company’s autocentres.
Since 2001 there started its work assembly production of KAMAZ vehicles in Almaty city (“Isker” Inc.). Currently there is being assembled 8 KAMAZ models including 13t KAMAZ-55111 dump truck, KAMAZ-54115 prime mover, KAMAZ-53215 side prime mover, 15t KAMAZ-65115 dump truck, truck mixers on KAMAZ chassis. On May 31, 2005 in Kokshetau city there was established a joint venture “Kazakhstan-Engineering” targeted on assembly of buses and trucks. The first NEFAZ bus on KAMAZ bus chassis was manufactured in August 2005.
There are actively developed leasing schemes for sale of vehicles. Within a year there has been leased over 400 KAMAZ units.
Tuesday, 01 November 2005