Posted on 17 Dec 2010
Russia’s Onexim group and Amsterdam-registered Yarovit have presented several prototype models of a hybrid electric/petrol engine car called Yo, that is designed to sharply reduce emissions and fuel consumption. If the car is ever launched into industrial scale production, it will not cheer Russian steelworks: the car body will contain no steel, and its engine may be made from steels sourced abroad, Steel Business Briefing learns from the companies involved.
If the prototypes successfully pass necessary trials and the project reaches production stage, Yo will become the first Russian car with minimal steel content. Its body will be made of non-steel materials including aluminium and fibreglass, to ensure the vehicle’s gross weight of 1,000kg and target 3.5 litres per 100km fuel consumption. The designers have not discarded steel entirely though: conventional metal will be used in manufacturing the car’s chassis, and its mechanical units will contain electrical steel and powder metallurgical products. However, the electrical steels are likely to be sourced outside Russia. Swedish mill Surahammars Bruk, part of Cogent Power group, has been mentioned as a possible supplier. “I am not sure if CIS-based steelworks can provide us with electrical steel with the required properties,” a source close to the project tells SBB. “We have supplied over half a tonne of electrical steel for manufacturing the prototypes… and hope their project gets running,” a Surahammars representative confirms. If the prototypes successfully pass necessary trials and the project reaches production stage, Yo will become the first Russian car with minimal steel content. Its body will be made of non-steel materials including aluminium and fibreglass, to ensure the vehicle’s gross weight of 1,000kg and target 3.5 litres per 100km fuel consumption. The designers have not discarded steel entirely though: conventional metal will be used in manufacturing the car’s chassis, and its mechanical units will contain electrical steel and powder metallurgical products. However, the electrical steels are likely to be sourced outside Russia. Swedish mill Surahammars Bruk, part of Cogent Power group, has been mentioned as a possible supplier. “I am not sure if CIS-based steelworks can provide us with electrical steel with the required properties,” a source close to the project tells SBB. “We have supplied over half a tonne of electrical steel for manufacturing the prototypes… and hope their project gets running,” a Surahammars representative confirms.
