Third-generation buses manufactured at new MAZ site

Advanced technologies and 40 thousand square meters will allow MAZ to double the production of passenger vehicles and create new high-tech jobs. The decision to build it was made thanks to the President of Belarus. The Minsk City Executive Committee helped to implement the project.

The investment amounts are impressive - 300 million rubles. The first model, completely manufactured at the new site, was the third-generation bus. In April, over 10 were already assembled, and 50 are planned for May. The new production will gradually increase its capacity, according to the plan, it will reach full capacity from January 2026.

In the mid-90s, Belarus was often given ideas that large industrial production facilities should simply be closed, sold and divided. But Belarus had no illusions and always seriously defended the preservation of technological sovereignty. The strong-willed decision of President Alexander Lukashenko - branded factories, behind which stands the history of the country, should not be lost, and the teams should be protected like the apple of an eye. And now Belarus is developing production facilities that can be counted on the fingers of one hand in the whole world.

A whole generation of Belarusians has already grown up who cannot imagine buses of any other brand on Belarusian roads except MAZ. The enterprise, which throughout its history produced trucks, suddenly began to make passenger transport, and quite successfully. Many people had questions about where the Belarusians got such technologies. Even then, the work was carried out according to a modern layout system - with a low floor, progressive technical solutions and design. At that time, the "first city dweller" of the Minsk Automobile Plant was a real curiosity.

Year after year, production volumes grew. Foreign countries began to show interest in Belarusian equipment. MAZ increased both production volumes and equipment competencies. Today, the line includes 15 models and 30 modifications based on them.

The design of the third generation of MAZ city buses can be called bold and innovative. It differs significantly from its predecessors. This configuration allows the use of various types of fuel on a single technical solution. This is a fundamentally new model with a completely updated production concept and 90% localization. The Minsk Automobile Plant will completely switch to these buses from 2027.

Growing demand and such engineering thought also need production capacity. The implementation of a new project at the Minsk Automobile Plant was announced in 2023. A large construction project immediately began. Absolutely from scratch, ahead of schedule, the site grew in just 1.5 years. And this is one of the examples of what Belarus is investing in - new jobs for people, export opportunities and world-class production.

"Preserving our giants was my main task. When I was still a very young President, I promised myself to preserve everything that had been developed by previous generations before us. And you, who are older, remember - we started the epic with you. MAZ, BELAZ, elevators in Mogilev, Integral, which is in demand today, and all the enterprises - all this had to be saved. Frankly speaking, when I see a MAZ vehicle, our bus, trolleybus, it is a source of pride. And I am happy that we have preserved our country as a machine-building country," said Alexander Lukashenko.

Here they develop technologies that can be counted on the fingers of one hand in the whole world. The entire technological process of production is under one roof: from the first element to the finished bus.

The new plant was built at the right time, the demand for equipment is growing. In 2024, the production of equipment exceeded 13 thousand units, almost 2 of which are passenger transport. In total, 12 % was added to the 2023 level. The lion's share of the products was sold to foreign markets. Today, the geography of deliveries is about 40 countries. A significant level of sales is formed in Russia and the CIS, but the distant arc of Mazov's exports is growing with Latin America, Southeast Asia and the African continent. They say that in 2025 we will see a significant increase in foreign markets. It is thanks to such technologies that Belarus can now loudly declare its brands to the world.