Five electric cars made in the USSR

The Soviets developed an electric garbage truck as early as in 1935, but the electric car industry failed to gain any momentum in the USSR.

Dubbed ‘LET,’ the very first electric vehicle in the USSR was made in 1935. Oddly, it was designed to be used as a garbage truck.

The new electric model was based on the ZIS-5, one of the most successful and widely used trucks made in the USSR. The engineers placed 140 kilogram-heavy batteries where previously a cargo platform had rested. In addition, they squeezed in two containers for garbage using the remaining space. In total, the truck weighed 4.2 tons and was powered by a 13 kW electric engine. The truck could speed up to a maximum of 24 km/h and its cruising range was mere 40 kilometers.

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