OREANDA-NEWS. June 03, 2014. In 2014 GAZ received the European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval which allows for selling GAZelle NEXT in EU countries.

In order to receive this certificate GAZ group specialists have reworked and tested the vehicle for over one year. Certification tests were carried out in Russian and abroad. At the moment in Russia there is no equipment for testing EURO-5 vehicle emission standards, and that is why tests were carried out in the European technical service of AТIDIADA (Spain). It was confirmed that the vehicle complies with 43 safety requirements, 113 international certificates were received, 74 of those certificates were for the components: safety belts, tyres, glass etc.

Nowadays GAZ Group is negotiating with potential distributors in several EU countries on creation of sales system and service maintenance. In May GAZ presented GAZelle NEXT and Sobol 4x4 ambulances at RETTmobil 2014, the biggest international exhibition of fire-fighting, rescue and medical vehicles, which took place in Fulda, Germany. European customers showed great interest in GAZ products because they have a good combination of performance characteristics and competitive price.

Vadim Sorokin, GAZ Group President: “Extension of export deliveries is the one of the spheres of GAZ strategic development which is especially important when the commercial vehicles market in Russia is reducing. European certificate grants us the right to sell GAZelle NEXT Euro-5 in 28 European Union countries, and we have the similar certificate for selling AWD Gazelle BUSINESS and Sobol BUSINESS vehicles. Moreover, the certificate itself is the official confirmation of the fact that GAZ LCVs comply with the requirements and standards set for this vehicle class in Europe”.

Forreference
Export of GAZ vehicles in 2013 amounted to 16 400 vehicles (15% growth as compared to 2012). This is about 17% of total GAZ sales. In 2012 export share in the total sales was 13%. Export growth was caused by sales growth in the CIS countrie, as well as in the South-East Asia, North Africa and Middle East.