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.
