The Moscow government, the main shareholder of AMO Likhachev Plant (ZiL), and Sberbank are discussing the possibility of creating a joint venture based on ZiL to produce commercial vehicles. reported this on Thursday Interfax with reference to the Vedomosti newspaper .

According to the publication's sources, the parties are discussing the creation of a joint venture between ZiL and one of the structures of Sberbank. The company intends to produce several models of light commercial vehicles under the Fiat and medium-duty Hyundai brands. Sberbank may receive a controlling stake in the joint venture.

The new company expects to use the conditions of the “old” industrial assembly regime for its work. To do this, the bank can acquire a company that has entered into an agreement but has not used it.

There are currently 4 dormant agreements. The newspaper calls the most likely option the purchase of the United Transport Technologies (OTT) company, which previously signed such an agreement. “There is a bargaining going on now; they will buy from those who will sell it cheaper,” said an informed source.

The Ministry of Economic Development previously announced that it intends to terminate signed but unused agreements on the industrial assembly of cars by the end of this year.

Last August, Moscow allocated more than 2.2 billion rubles to restart the car plant and, after a 2-year break, began producing trucks at ZIL again. However, the number of trucks produced per month currently does not correspond to previously announced plans.

ZiL and Sberbank may create a joint venture to assemble commercial vehicles