Kalashnikov Enters The World Of Electric Cars With A Bang

Meanwhile, in Russia, Kalashnikov has decided that it wants a slice of the electric vehicle pie.

The infamous Russian manufacturer of the most widely used assault rifle in history announced its intentions in 2018. It put an EV motor inside therestomod of a Soviet-era hatch, and it was beautiful. Actually, it was horrible to look at, but would you say that to Kalashnikov?

Thankfully, Kalashnikov moved away from that design and is now working on something a little more urban-friendly.

Kalashnikov recently filed a few images at Russia's patent office. We've seen the Izh UV-4 before, but the three-wheel concept is new.

The UV-4 looks like the lovechild of aRenault TwizzyandGordon Murray's T.27 electric carfrom 2011. It's exactly what you'd expect from a maker of military equipment. There's zero fluff attached to the body. It has four exposed wheels and a bodyshell in the middle with military-like doors. Despite its 133.8-inch overall length, 59-inch width, and 70-inch height, it looks ready for battle.

Reports suggest the interior will be equally basic, but it will likely have air conditioning, some sort of infotainment system, and an adjustable suspension. If this car makes its debut without gun racks, it would be an absolute waste.

For power, it uses a single electric motor producing 67 hp. It doesn't sound like much, but the entire car only weighs 1,422 pounds. The top speed is also limited to 50 mph, which should help it achieve a claimed range of 93 miles. In a previous press release, Kalashnikov also stated that the UV-4 is a low explosion hazard, which is nice. We prefer our cars to not explode.