| Manufacturer | Yo-auto |
|---|---|
| Production | From 2012 |
| Body style | Crossover, hatchback, truck |
| Engine | Gasoline or natural gas hybrid |
The Yo-mobil (Russian: ё-мобиль and pronounced "yo-mobil") is a planned hybrid electric car that will be produced by Yo-auto, a Russian company that is a joint venture between SKD truck maker Yarovit and the Onexim investment group.[1][2][3]
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The car was introduced on 13 December 2010 in Moscow, a product of a joint venture between Yarovit, owner of a small assembly plant in St. Petersburg, Russia and the Onexim investment group, headed by Mikhail Prokhorov, who is the leader and financier of the project.[1][3] Prokhorov planned to invest around €150 million (US$200 million) in a the venture, dubbed Yo-auto.[1] According to Prokhorov, he intended for the vehicle to "break the stereotype saying Russia can't produce good cars."[3]
The car will be powered by an engine that can burn both gasoline and natural gas and is connected to a pair of electric motors.[1] Unlike other hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, the internal-combustion engine directly powers the motors rather than a battery.[1] It was planned to install a rotary vane type engine, with the pistons moving in a circle, rather than linearly.[1] However, the inventor of the engine Mikhail Virgiyanov in an open letter to the company refused to continue work on the engine and accused the company of copyright infringement.[4]
Fuel economy of the car is expected to be around 67 mpg-US (3.5 L/100 km; 80 mpg-imp), with a range of 680 miles (1,090 km) and a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h).[1] However, no tests were conducted due to the lack of working examples.
The vehicle is planned to be sold in three different body types—a sedan or coupe, a hatchback and a delivery truck.[1][2] Most components of the vehicle will be produced in either Russia or former Soviet Union countries.[3]
Yo-auto plans to begin producing the car during the second half of 2012,[5] and aims to sell 10,000 during the first year of production.[1][3] While it will be initially sold in Russia, Yo-auto plans to sell the vehicle in Europe subject to compliance with European Union regulations.[3] The cars will be manufactured in a factory near St. Petersburg that will have an estimated annual capacity of 45,000 units. A second factory, to be opened later, is expected to double the annual production rate.[5]
In late 2011, Vietnamese company TMT and Yo-auto announced plans to develop a line of 2-8 seat cars for the Vietnam market, developed from the Yo-mobil platform.[6]
At the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, ë-Auto presented a concept ë-mobil with sliding doors. Instead of mirrors, the concept utilized a pair of video cameras for rear view vision.[7]
The project has been criticized by many Russian automotive specialists.[8] In particular the project and its designers are criticized for:
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