Bogdan Corporation, one of the largest operators on Ukraine's car market, cut the production of vehicles by 36.2% in 2012 compared to 2011, to 13,455.
Corporation Spokesman Serhiy Krasulia told Interfax-Ukraine that the indicator was linked to a fall in passenger car output by 40.5% on 2011, to 12,034.
Production of commercial vehicles grew by 34.8%, to 876, while bus and trolleybus production soared by 2.7 times, to 545.
Compared to the results of January-November 2011, the fall in the production of passenger cars accelerated by 4.2 percentage notches, taking into account the fact that in December 2012 the plant in Cherkasy made only 92 passenger cars, while in November 1,135 cars were made.
In December 2012 the production of commercial vehicles more than halved, to 35, and bus and trolleybus output rose by 3.8%, to 54.
Krasulia said that the growth in the production of buses and trolleybuses in 2012 was linked to an order to supply trolleybuses to Kyiv (202) using EBRD’s funds and as part of tenders that the corporation won.
Compared to December 2011 a fall in production in December 2012 came to almost 89%, to 181.
Commenting on the situation in 2012, Krasulia again said that the current situation was linked to the absence of a clear state policy for the protection of the domestic market, and the narrowing of sales markets, including due to the introduction of the vehicle recycling tax in Russia.
“The situation is very complicated, and the corporation cannot form a production plan for 2013 in the said conditions,” he said.
The industrial assets of Bogdan Corporation include production of cars in Cherkasy with a capacity of 120,000-150,000 cars (Lada, Hyundai and cars under its own brand) and 6,000 buses and trolleybuses per year in Lutsk.
