Lada Ellada: legends of “Ellada” based on “Kalina”

I went after the first Russian electric car with the obsession of the Argonauts, who once dared to travel for the Golden Fleece. The crush on the tram, the sea of ​​people in the metro - and here it is, the cherished island of those. But, like the ancient Greek navigators, with the achievement of my goal, my adventures had only just begun.

“IF THE SAIL FALLS, WE WILL STRIKE WITH OARS...”

Externally, the electric Kalina is an ordinary station wagon (only the front bumper is different). Everything inside is also familiar, so no special emotions arise at first.

I turn the key in the lock. There is a second pause, and a small green car appears on the instrument panel. Selector in “drive” - the car moves silently under the rustling of the tires.

The sensitive gas pedal takes some getting used to. He touched it and the electric car jumped forward! For traditional Kalinas, such acceleration is the ultimate dream. I have never seen such dynamics in AvtoVAZ cars before. But the excitement was cooled by the on-board computer: the color display showed a verdict - 13 km before recharging. And this is with fully charged batteries... I immediately remembered the winter test of the Mitsubishi-iMiEV (ZR, 2012, No. 6), in which we never made it to the editorial office. I called my colleagues: they say, stretch Ariadne’s thread in the form of a towing sling, otherwise, I’m afraid I won’t make it to the outlet. It’s good that it’s -1ºС outside, and not -20º, as it was then.

I turn off the headlights and heater and drive calmly, no faster than 50 km/h. On the descent from the bridge, I press the brake and feel how at the end of the pedal stroke the force increases, and the arrow in the left saucer of the instrument panel drops into the blue zone - regenerative braking encourages the on-board computer, it mercifully shows 14 km. This is already better, but this does not make the left pedal any more informative. The deceleration is indistinct, and at a snail’s speed, it’s as if someone is grabbing the wheels with tongs. The iMiEV and Renault Zoe have much better brake settings.

There's almost nothing new inside. The only thing that catches your eye is the direction switch with familiar letter designations - D, N and R.

There's almost nothing new inside. The only thing that catches your eye is the direction switch with familiar letter designations - D, N and R.

There's almost nothing new inside. The only thing that catches your eye is the direction switch with familiar letter designations - D, N and R.

Lada Ellada: legends of “Ellada” based on “Kalina”

LADA Ellada production and release date

The machine was shown in 2011 in Moscow at the international forum on nanotechnology. The following year, mass production began. The development cost the company 10 million euros. In 2013, the bulk of the cars were purchased for taxi companies in Stavropol, where they still serve. Select samples are also available on secondary markets.

In 2021, it was announced that the new version of Hellas being developed will receive the Range Extender system, the essence of which is to increase the range by using an additional mini-motor. It will spin the generator, recharging the battery. “Thermostat” technology will also be used, ensuring the electric vehicle’s operating range from -30ºC to +50ºC. A photo of the LADA Ellada prototype with modernization is presented below.

Prices and start of sales

Nova Zhiga will start at approximately 2.7 million rubles for the basic version, that is, for the “troika”. “Five” – 3.2, all-wheel drive “Seven” – from 3.8, and the top-end charged “Seven” Performance – from 4.6 million rubles.

I found out that the Lada VAZ-2102 used to be an electric car. It turned out that such cars still drive in Crimea

Production and sales of new Lada cars should begin approximately in 2024-2025. At the moment, this is all the information about the new product. As soon as new information becomes available, I will publish a review immediately.

Write in the comments which of the Zhigulis you plan to buy for yourself - three, five, seven or the top Performance model. Will you be driving it in drag races, drifting competitions, or just driving it to the countryside?

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Technical characteristics of LADA Ellada

The domestic car is based on the LADA Kalina chassis, resembling it in appearance. The main technical characteristics of LADA Ellada are presented in the table.

Reference! In case of a tire puncture, Hellas is equipped with a spare wheel. It is located in the luggage compartment niche.

Design features of the Lada Hellas electric car

The weight of the car has increased compared to Kalina. The difference is about 120 kg. It was not possible to make a completely domestic car.

The electric motor and related electronics are Swiss made, and the charger is from. The use of Russian batteries was not implemented. VVB was created by a company from China – Thunder Sky.

How to distinguish Lada Hellas from Kalina externally

The appearance is almost completely copied from the Lada Kalina. But there are a couple of differences. The bumper was taken from the sports version of Kalina. On the trunk lid there is an EL nameplate located next to the LADA.

The difference between an electric car and Kalina

Engine power and other parameters

The Hellas electric motor is front-mounted. The power of the unit is 60 kW, which translates to approximately 82 hp. Torque is 275 Nm. The asynchronous motor is powered by three-phase alternating current and is equipped with a liquid cooling system.

The car has a recuperation system representing engine braking. Its use allows you to increase the power reserve by 5-7%.

LADA Ellada acceleration from 0 to 100, maximum speed

The maximum speed is limited to 130 km/h. In theory, you can accelerate even more, but the electronic limiter is triggered. Our electric car accelerates to 60 km/h in just 5 seconds. To 100 km/h from a standstill will take 14 seconds.

Battery and range of LADA Ellada

The Lada is equipped with an LFP type battery - lithium iron phosphate. The traction battery consists of 80 compact batteries. Their total voltage is 256 Volts with a total weight of 240 kg. The energy reserve is 23 kWh. The declared service life is 3000 charge/discharge cycles.

The battery is located under the rear seat of LADA Ellada

Officially, the range of the LADA Ellada is 150 km. True, on the Anapa-Stavropol route the car was able to travel 207 km without recharging. At temperatures from -5ºС, the range drops to 100 km. When the stove or ventilation is activated, it can even be 45 km.

The note! Power reserve is an individual parameter. Highly depends on temperature, condition of components and driving style.

Charger

You can replenish the battery using your home network or special charging stations. When using a 220-Volt network, the process will take 8 hours. The use of fast charging stations will reduce this period to half an hour, and the price of the issue is about 60 rubles.

Fucking charging connector

To find out where the nearest electric vehicle charging station is located, look at the Map of electric gas stations in Russia.

Transmission and suspension

A gearbox is used as a transmission, allowing smooth transmission of torque from the engine to the wheels. There are three letters on the lever indicating the modes:

• D – normal driving mode;
• N – neutral gear;
• R – reverse.

Selector Lada Ellada
The suspension remains from Kalina. There are no particular complaints about it. It swallows bumps, strong bumps are felt, but not critical. The structure is standard for electric vehicles. The front has an independent MacPherson strut. At the rear there is a semi-independent torsion beam.

Steering, chassis and braking system

The steering wheel is equipped with an electric booster. It handles comfortably, but you shouldn't expect the behavior of a sports car on the road. There are no complaints about the chassis.

The braking system is a controversial issue. Ventilated disc brakes are installed on the front axle. The response is sufficient. But when using recuperation and then reducing the speed, some twitching is felt. It appears that the torque is not being reduced evenly. Doesn't cause any problems, but is a little annoying.

Technical part

The electric platform of Renault Nissan, on which the new Zhiguli will be built, involves the main front drive wheels, unlike similar platforms of the Volkswagen and Hyundai concerns. The latter are rear-wheel drive by default. This means that the basic version of the new Lada Zhiguli, which will receive the index “3”, will have front-wheel drive, which is atypical for a Zhiguli.

However, in terms of power, everything is good here - 218 hp. With. Such a machine will have a battery with a capacity of 63 kWh. The range on one charge is an impressive 410 km. The Lada Zhiguli 5 or “five” will be a step higher. Such a car will receive an electric motor with a capacity of 242 hp. With. Its battery is already more capacious - 87 kW-hours, and the power reserve is a very impressive 600 km. The acceleration time to hundreds is 7 seconds for the three, and about 6 for the five.

The top modification “Seven” will receive all-wheel drive. Its electric motors are located on the front and rear axles. The total power of the electric motors is 279 hp. With. It is equipped with an 87 kWh battery. On one charge the car can travel almost 600 km. Acceleration time to hundreds is at the level of 5 seconds.

The top charged version of the Zhiguli is also called the “seven”, but it will receive the Performance index in the name. This modification has a more aggressive appearance, clearly differing in traffic from ordinary Zhiguli.

In fact, it will destroy the M-series model from BMW. The car is equipped with the same battery, but more powerful electric motors. Their total power is 394 hp. With. This is already a real combat classic.

Just think about it - acceleration to hundreds is 4.2 seconds! The power reserve, of course, is slightly less than that of the simpler version - 550 km. The large mass and powerful engines have an effect. The car supports charging from the home power supply. A 22 kW charger is also included. It is possible to use high-speed charging stations with a power of 130 kW. However, there is no such infrastructure in Russia yet, but it will definitely appear in the future.

According to marketers, the new Zhiguli is aimed at young people and active representatives of the older generation.

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Comparison of characteristics with popular electric vehicles

The electric Lada may not be very impressive with its technical indicators, but it can compete with some models.

The table shows comparative characteristics with some electric cars from other manufacturers.

Project

Unlike its already legendary, but archaic predecessor, the new Lada Zhiguli should become an electric car. The new Zhiga will be built on the latest electric platform of the Renault Nissan concern, on which the Nissan Ariya was released last year. Renault, in turn, showed the electric concept Negan eVision.

The new electric Lada Zhiguli should become a charged sports electric car. The fashion for the reincarnation of classic cars in a new electric guise is now gaining momentum around the world. AvtoVAZ also does not want to remain on the sidelines, since the plant has its own rich history, full of legendary models.

In fact, the new Lada Zhiguli should be the first muscle car of its kind. Here we can get ahead of American concerns before they release an electric Camaro or Dodge Charger. The new Zhiguli should receive its own special Russian features. It is no secret that in Russia there are a lot of fans of military classics, true connoisseurs of classic VAZ models. They love to tune their cars, take part in races, and also show off their professional drifting skills.

Therefore, the top-end charged versions of the new Lada Zhiguli will receive a mode that will allow them to punish competitors in quarter-mile races. Also, similar to BMW models, there will be a special drift mode, which will help young fans of the combat classics demonstrate to the maximum their extreme driving skills and car control in a controlled drift.

What does LADA Ellada look like?

The appearance is copied by LADA Kalina. The front bumper with body kits adds a touch of daring, but it's not enough. The standard large, irregularly shaped headlights have not gone away. There are round fog lights on the sides below, and an air intake in the center.

LADA Ellada

There is a large tailgate at the rear. Triangular headlights with curves are located at the edges. Optics type: halogen.

LADA Ellada salon inside

There are also no special changes. The differences are only visible on the dashboard. In addition, the appearance and gear lever have changed. The finishing uses “oak plastic” and fabric. There is no need to look for sophistication. There are two new elements in the cabin: a button to turn on the electric heater and a digital taximeter that can read plastic cards and print receipts.

Salon

Dashboard

The speedometer was limited to 160 km/h. An energy consumption scale has appeared. Divided into 2 blocks. The dashboard has a built-in navigator.

Dashboard

Center console

The ovoid contour houses the main part of the center console. The top is occupied by ventilation deflectors. Below there is a block responsible for adjusting the audio system, represented by “knobs”. Function keys are located nearby.

Trunk

The trunk volume is 350 liters. With the seats folded, the volume rises to 645 liters.

Seats

The chairs are upholstered in simple fabric. The front row is adjustable. There is no lateral support or headrests, so you shouldn’t count on comfort. The back row is represented by a three-seater sofa. Capacity is 5 people.