From December 10 to 13, 2024, Moscow's Expocentre Fairgrounds hosted two major events simultaneously: the largest international exhibition of commercial vehicles in Russia, COMTRANS International, and the exhibition of buses and urban mobility equipment, URBANTRANS.
A total of 227 companies from four countries—Russia, Belarus, China, and Turkey—participated in the exhibitions.
The exhibitions' official media partner was Za Rulem Publishing House.
Leading automotive manufacturers showcased their latest models of trucks, light commercial vehicles, buses, minibuses, specialized automotive equipment, trailers, and semi-trailers. Additionally, innovations in spare parts and components were on display.
Over the four days, the exhibitions welcomed more than 12,000 professionals from the automotive manufacturing and transportation industries.
The grand opening of the exhibitions was marked by the Awards Ceremony for the “Za Rulem Grand Prix: Commercial Vehicles 2024”, an annual competition established by the editorial teams of the Za Rulem and Reys magazines.
The competition exclusively featured new vehicles and trailers that entered the Russian market in 2024.
This year, 30 vehicles competed for the awards.
The entries were evaluated by experts in freight and passenger transportation, including representatives from major transportation companies, trading firms, and repair enterprises such as Gefco, Magnit, Delovye Linii, Avtoekspeditor, Avtoline, Trasko, and other prominent organizations.
Winners were announced in eight categories, two of which—Premiere of the Year and Made in Russia—were editorial nominations.
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WINNERS OF THE “ZA RULEM GRAND PRIX: COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 2024”:
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Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) Sobol NN 4x4 |
Medium-duty trucks Valdai 12 |
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Heavy-duty trucks KAMAZ-54902 and Dongfeng GX |
Small and Medium-class Buses Gazelle е-City и KAMAZ-4280-F5 |
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Large-class buses Golden Dragon 6129 Navigator |
Semi-trailers Tonar R3-13D isothermal |
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Premiere of the Year BAZ Civilian All-Wheel-Drive Truck by Romanov JSC |
Made in Russia Sollers – For localization of automotive components |
On December 12 the exhibition was honored by the visit of prominent officials, such as Nikolay Asaul, General Director of State Unitary Enterprise “Mosgortrans”, Dmitry Pronin, Deputy Head of the Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development of Moscow and Andrey Lyzin, General Director of St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise “Passazhiravtotrans”. Accompanied by Norair Bludyan, Director of the Association “TAMA” and Chairman of the Commission on Digital Multimodal Passenger Mobility of the Public Council of the Ministry of Transport of Russia, the delegation toured the exhibition. During the visit, they explored the displays and visited the stands of leading manufacturers.
Within the exhibition, innovations from Russian and Belarusian automotive manufacturers were particularly prominent, alongside numerous offerings from Turkish and Chinese partners.
KEY INNOVATIONS PRESENTED AT COMTRANS INTERNATIONAL AND URBANTRANS:
One of the main highlights of the exhibitions was the all-wheel-drive minibus “Gazelle NN 4x4”, equipped with a transfer case featuring an electronically controlled rotary knob. Also displayed was a new variation of the “Gazelle NN”—a next-generation school bus with an extended-length body. Another noteworthy exhibit was Russia's first mass-produced small-class low-floor electric bus, the “Gazelle e-City”, which boasts a range of 150 km.
STT Group showcased the entire Valdai truck family, ranging from the Valdai 45 highway tractor to a refrigerated truck on the Valdai 8 chassis.
The centerpiece of STT Group’s stand was the Valdai 45 highway tractor, designed for intercity freight transport. The vehicle is equipped with a 470-horsepower diesel engine delivering 2,200 Nm of torque and a 12-speed automated transmission.
The Belarusian flagship manufacturer MAZ presented its 54402L jubilee series semi-truck, the Kupava 573100 isothermal van with a hydraulic lift on a MAZ chassis, and the large-class trolleybus 303T20. The trolleybus is powered by an asynchronous electric motor with a nominal output of 155 kW and features a hybrid supercapacitor-based autonomous driving system, enabling it to travel up to 20 km on roads without overhead wires.
Another Belarusian company, KF-Auto, introduced a new commercial vehicle brand, Avior, to the Russian market. Their stand featured diesel-powered all-metal vans, the Avior V90 and G10, as well as a new Avior bus, which will be developed in three versions—urban, suburban, and tourist.
The exhibition also hosted the presentation of BAZ trucks, whose mass production will begin at the Romanov JSC plant in St. Petersburg in 2025. Exhibited models included a dump truck with a gross weight of 36 tons and a tractor unit. The manufacturers emphasized that all components are produced in Russia and Belarus, achieving a localization level of 97%.
KAMAZ showcased its KAMAZ-4280-F5 Vega, a medium-class city bus with a passenger capacity of 65. Another model on display was the KAMAZ-4290-30-5M bus, developed on its proprietary platform. This bus is equipped with a KAMAZ 445.520 four-cylinder diesel engine producing 154 kW.
In the medium- and heavy-duty truck segments, the Altai Trucks brand showcased its lineup. One standout model was the ALTAI TRUCKS 6x6 CORBU series chassis, featuring a powerful 300-horsepower engine and a maximum gross weight of 25,000 kg.
Altai Trucks also presented its flagship models: the MULTA 20-ton chassis and the ARGUT 12-ton chassis, assembled in Russia in collaboration with the 261 Repair Plant located in Veliky Novgorod.
Volgabus from Volzhsky brought its 5270LH hybrid bus, equipped with a Chinese Yuchai power unit, to the exhibition. Its traction battery, with a capacity of 48 Ah, is almost half the size of typical electric buses. In the intercity bus segment, Volgabus announced the updated Volgabus-5285 Marathon, offering seating for 45 to 60 passengers, depending on configuration.
The Ulyanovsk-based SIMAZ introduced two new models: a new low-floor city bus and the SIMAZ 2258, equipped with a new Yuchai diesel engine and Fast Gear transmission.
The Belarusian manufacturer MZKT premiered its tourist bus model, the NEMAN-420435-010, and the suburban bus NEMAN-420423-501. Both models are already available for purchase.
At the AvtoVAZ stand, the highlight was the dual-fuel Lada Vesta Cross CNG, powered by a 1.8-liter, 122-horsepower engine paired with a CVT. Another noteworthy debut was the Lada Vesta model designed for people with disabilities. Additionally, AvtoVAZ showcased the Lada Granta with a refrigerated van superstructure, available in two different lengths.
Chinese automotive manufacturers made a strong showing at COMTRANS International and URBANTRANS:
Business Program of URBANTRANS and COMTRANS International Exhibitions:
From the very first day, the URBANTRANS exhibition was accompanied by an extensive program of business events, which lasted throughout the exhibition on a dedicated platform, the URBANTRANS Mobility Forum, organized in partnership with the Moscow Agglomeration Transport Association (TAMA).
Speakers and moderators of the program included leading experts in the automotive industry and transportation sector, executives from manufacturing companies, representatives of federal ministries and agencies, and leaders of the country’s largest transport enterprises.
During the URBANTRANS Mobility Forum, key issues and challenges currently facing the Russian passenger transport market were discussed.
Each day of the forum was dedicated to a specific theme:
December 10 – Manufacturers' Day, which opened with the session "Development of Passenger Transport in the Russian Federation until 2035." The panel session featured executives from the largest passenger transport manufacturing companies.
December 11 – Passenger Transportation Day, which began with the plenary session "Agglomeration Transport: Transport Policy and Development Strategy."
December 12 – This day was devoted to the modernization of public transport and shared mobility. It was opened by SPb GUP "Passazhiravtotrans" with the session: "Development of Passenger Mobility in Saint Petersburg."
December 13 – Held under the banner of the University Congress: "Key Directions of Scientific and Educational Activities in the Field of Transportation.".
Over the 4 days of the URBANTRANS Mobility Forum, more than 70 speakers participated, and the audience exceeded 700 attendees.
On December 11, as part of the COMTRANS International exhibition, the session "Freight Transport for Foreign Trade. Current Realities" took place with speakers from the Ministries of Transport of Russia and China, in partnership with the ASMAP association.
During the discussion, current aspects of government regulation of international road transport were addressed, particularly road transportation between China and Russia. Measures to increase the capacity of key road checkpoints and strategies for Russian carriers to operate amid the reorientation of freight flows were discussed.
The URBANTRANS exhibition was traditionally supported by and saw participation in its business program from:
The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Association of Russian Automakers (OAR), the Moscow Agglomeration Transport Association (TAMA), the Association of International Road Carriers (ASMAP), the publishing house “Za Rulem,” and other professional organizations.
COMTRANS was traditionally supported by and saw participation in its business program from:
The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Association of International Road Carriers (ASMAP), the publishing house “Za Rulem,” and other professional organizations.