Fuel Crisis in Russia Drives a Sharp Drop in Car Sales.

Russia’s New Car Sales Take a Hit

According to Espreso.tv: Ongoing fuel shortages have triggered a notable decline in sales of both new passenger cars and commercial vehicles across Russia. In the past week, only 25,900 new passenger cars were sold—a 16.2% drop compared to the week before. Light commercial vehicle (LCV) sales also fell by 10%, totaling 1,338 units, while truck sales decreased by 15.6% to 1,010 vehicles.

Year-over-year figures paint a similarly troubling picture: LCV sales are down 19.2%, and truck sales have fallen 6.6%. The fuel crisis, which first emerged in late May, is a key factor behind these declines.

Sergey Tselikov noted: 'The fuel crisis is one of the reasons for the drop in sales.'

'The gasoline shortage is already being felt.'

Gasoline Imports and Market Struggles

On June 17, Russia plans to begin importing gasoline by sea from Asian countries, and as of July 1, it has already started maritime deliveries from India, shipping at least 60,000 tons. In June, searches on Yandex for 'how to make gasoline' tripled compared to May. These developments highlight the growing difficulties in the country’s automotive fuel market.

The current state of Russia’s road transport market underscores serious economic challenges tied to the energy crisis. The slump in new car sales may not only hurt manufacturers but also ripple through related sectors, such as:

• insurance
• maintenance services
• spare parts sales

Persistent fuel supply problems could further reduce economic activity and demand for road transport, ultimately dampening consumer spending across the country.