EV branded ‘world’s ugliest car’ after humiliating unveiling – with top speed of just 65mph & batteries you have to RENT
A RUSSIAN electric vehicle with a top speed of just 65mph has been dubbed the "world's ugliest car".
Photos of a prototype Amber Yantar show an unusual-looking red car with tiny round headlights and two large charging ports on its passenger side.
The electric vehicle has already faced significant criticism in the short week since it was unveiled to the public.
The car only has windows by the driver and passenger side - with none at the back.
It has large steps which have to climb to get into the seats, and odd tiny wheels.
It is asymmetrical with side glass only on the driver and passenger side - not on the rear seat side - and large steps for entry and exit complemented by disproportionately small wheels.
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One social media user likened it to a washing machine.
A Russian carmaker based in Kaliningrad, Avtotor, designed the new Amber Yantar in collaboration with the Moscow Polytechnic Institute.
The carmaker has plans to produce up to 50,000 of the electric vehicles in 2025, it recently announced, with all of the major components including electric motor, inverter, control boards, and batteries supposedly to be designed and built in Russia.
But similar claims have previously been made by Russian car manufacturers who ended up using Chinese components instead.
Little is known about the technical details of the car, except that it will come with a 25kW/h battery and should be very affordable.
Its users will be able to rent - rather than buy - batteries and travel at a top speed of just 65mph.
Pictures of the prototype circulating online have been met with a harsh response including plenty of jokes.
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Some have gone so far as to say it is the world's ugliest car.
Avtotor has had to clarify the Yantar will look completely different when it does eventually go into production.
The carmaker said the unusual-looking electric vehicle in the pictures was only a "test mule".
It came as an off-road "icon" favoured by Vladimir Putin went up for sale with just 362 miles on the clock - at a price that would make it one of the most expensive of its kind in the UK.
The 2021 Lada Niva Luxe is especially rare after imports were halted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.
The Lada brand is famous for its connection to the Soviet Union as the Communist bloc attempted to rival the hottest products from Ford and British Leyland on a much smaller budget.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin purchased one of the cars in 2009.