Russia To Test Its New Electric Car ‘Atom’ On Arctic Icebreaker Expedition

Russia is preparing to send its new electric vehicle, the Atom, on a unique Arctic expedition. The EV will join a polar mission aboard the nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy, which is set to depart from Murmansk in late June.

The project is “Atom on an Icebreaker,” is a joint effort between several Russian groups — Atomflot, the Fuel Division of Rosatom (Russia’s state nuclear corporation), and Kama, the company that developed and built the Atom electric car.

During the trip, passengers will get a first look at the prototype of the Atom car and learn about its features. The team also plans to lower the car onto Arctic ice to test how well it performs in extreme cold and harsh weather.

“Electric vehicles have often struggled in cold climates, but we’re heading into the Arctic to prove that those limitations are in the past,” said Alexander Bukhvalov, head of Rosatom’s electromobility division. “This is a trust test. If the car can handle the Arctic, it can handle daily use anywhere in the world.”

He also mentioned that the production of the Atom car is planned to start this year, which marks 80 years since the beginning of Russia’s nuclear industry— making it a symbolic moment of combining Russia’s past achievements with its future goals.

Igor Povarazdnyuk, CEO of Kama, added, “Atom is the first electric vehicle designed in Russia by Russian engineers for Russian conditions. It’s very meaningful for us to see one of our cars heading to the Arctic on a Russian-made icebreaker. It shows that electric cars are finally arriving in Russia. Our job now is to make sure the car works well in all climates and is comfortable and easy to use.”

The journey of the Atom electric vehicle to the Arctic aims to show that Russian EVs are ready for any challenge — even the coldest corners of the Earth.