BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 21. Kazakhstan’s Astana
Motors plans to launch production of urban passenger buses under
the domestic “Astana” brand in November 2026, the Kazakh government
says.
This was reported by the Chairman of Astana Motors Group Nurlan
Smagulov during a government meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Olzhas Bektenov.
According to Smagulov, the company is expanding its vehicle
manufacturing activities as part of plans to increase domestic
production capacity and support the development of public
transport.
"One of the company's key projects is the launch of its own bus
brand, called 'Astana.' The buses themselves are unique, developed
with the help of technology partners from China, using components
from leading global manufacturers. Our engineers from Kazakhstan
were directly involved in the design of these buses. The buses will
be manufactured in Kazakhstan," Smagulov said.
The new “Astana” buses are being developed with the
participation of Kazakh engineers and international technology
partners. The vehicles will be assembled at production facilities
in Kazakhstan. The first stage of production will include buses
equipped with diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) engines, with
serial production scheduled to begin in November 2026.
The company is also working on the development of electric buses
under the same brand in cooperation with Chinese electric vehicle
manufacturer BYD. Production of fully electric “Astana” buses is
planned to begin in March 2027. The vehicles will use
battery-powered technologies and are intended for use in urban
public transport. The project is part of Kazakhstan’s efforts to
expand domestic vehicle production and develop new transport
solutions for cities.
