The company said in a statement on Thursday that the CV-1 car featured a number of "complex systems" with technology that would "let us stand in the ranks of global electric car producers such as Tesla".<doc-sep>Kalashnikov, a company more known for its AK-47 machine guns than its electric vehicles, unveiled its new electric car on Thursday. The powder-blue prototype, dubbed the CV-1, was unveiled by the Russian arms maker at a defense expo outside of Moscow. Kalashnikov Concern told Russian media that the technology within its "electric supercar" will rival that of Elon Musk's Tesla. "This technology will allow us to stand in line with the world's electric car manufacturers, like Tesla, and compete with them," a spokesperson told Sputnik. According to the company, the vehicle can travel 350 kilometers (217 miles) on a single charge. Kalashnikov says the technology in its new electric car will rival that of Tesla Design raises eyebrows The car's retro look was inspired by a Soviet hatchback model developed in the 1970s, the "Izh-Kombi," Kalashnikov said in a statement on its website. The CV-1's light blue color, large grill, retro door handles and boxy frame have received mixed reviews from Russians. On social media, some described the car as "cyberpunk" while others referred to it as the "Izh-Zombie." "Your tanks are great, but it would be better if you stayed away from cars," one user wrote on the company's official Facebook page. The company also faced online ridicule after it released images of a new bipedal combat robot that is still in the production stage. Some compared the golden-colored robot with guns for arms to those used in the Star Wars movie franchise. Kalashnikov Concern has been trying to expand its brand for several years, branching out into civilian merchandise including clothing lines, umbrellas and mobile phone covers. The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on Seven decades of Kalashnikov The 30-round AK 47 is arguably the most recognizable firearm in the world. The Soviet engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov (pictured above in 2002) created the automatic rifle after World War II. It quickly earned a reputation for being cheap and reliable, with various armies, guerilla groups and street gangs all using the weapon to this day. The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on Makarov goes to space The 9mm Makarov pistol entered service in 1951 as a staple sidearm for the Soviet army, police and Spetsnaz special forces. Soviet cosmonauts even took the weapon to space as a part of a special survival kit, which was provided to them in case they became stranded upon landing back on Earth. The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on MiG-29 still flying high The Mikoyan MiG-29 first entered production in the early 1980s and was praised as a highly maneuverable and agile dogfighter. The original model has since been upstaged by both NATO fighters and its more expensive brother Sukhoi, but its variants are still deployed in combat. The Russian air force uses MiG-29s to target the so-called "Islamic State" forces in Syria. The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on Blast from the past The Red Army used Katyushas to devastating effect against German soldiers in World War II. The multiple rocket launchers were attached to army trucks, making them cheap and highly mobile. Its distinctive whine and appearance reminded the German soldiers of a church organ, prompting a nickname "Stalinorgel" or "Stalin's organ." The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on S-300 and its descendants In 2016, Russia sold its advanced aerial defense system to Iran, but kept quiet on the details. The Cold War-era version of the S-300 had a range of 150 kilometers (93 miles), and could hit targets at altitudes above 27 kilometers, with the more modern Antey 2500 system reportedly expanding the range to 400 kilometers. India and China are seeking to buy the even-more-advanced S-400 missiles. The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on Dragunov sniper rifle The Dragunov sniper rifle was first introduced to the Soviet army in 1963 and has since found its way to war theaters across the world. It was reportedly used against US soldiers in Vietnam. In 2015, the SITE Intelligence Group published photos of the "Islamic State" soldiers with Dragunov rifles. The Soviet Union is dead, but its weapons live on T-34, a symbol of an era The Red Army owes much of its victory over Germany to the iconic T-34, which first appeared on the battlefield in 1941. The battle-tested T-34 eventually became the most widely produced tank of the war and influenced armored vehicles for decades. The Russian military still honors it by having it lead the Victory Day parade. Author: Darko Janjevic Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>The Russian manufacturer behind the AK-47 has pulled out the big guns — debuting a retro-style electric car in hopes of leaving Elon Musk’s Tesla in the dust. Kalashnikov showed off a prototype of its “super car” called the CV-1, a robin’s egg blue incarnation of a Soviet hatchback from the 1970s, at a defense expo outside Moscow on Thursday, BBC News reported. Once fully developed, the company said, the CV-1 will be able to travel 220 miles on a single charge. It’s unclear how much the car will cost. “This technology will allow us to stand in line with the world’s electric car manufacturers, like Tesla, and compete with them,” the company told Sputnik News. “We were inspired by the experience of world market leaders when creating our concept.” Kalashnikov recently expanded beyond firearms, launching a clothing line and a host of accessories, like umbrellas and smartphone covers. Earlier this week, the company was mocked after unveiling its new manned robot called “Igorek” — or “little Igor.” One person posted a photo of a man on all fours to make fun of the clunky creation. The 13-foot machine is meant to carry out “engineering and combat tasks.” Kalashnikov said it plans to improve the unwieldy robot’s design ahead of an exhibition in 2020.<doc-sep>
​ At a military-oriented forum on Thursday, arms manufacturer Kalashnikov Concern threw the automotive world a curveball with the reveal of an unexpected electric concept car, which it calls the CV-1. Kalashnikov constructed the CV-1 on the underpinnings of an Izh 2125 "Kombi," a compact hatchback originally manufactured by the Soviets starting in 1972, with production running until 1997. It, in turn, was based on the Moskvitch 412, which dates back as far as 1964. Valery Moroz Technically, one could consider the Kalashnikov CV-1 a restomod show car rather than a concept car, though the advertised specifications of the electric powertrain tech underneath are competitive with other modern mass-market electric vehicles. Kalashnikov is using the CV-1 as a platform to demonstrate its electric powertrain components, developed in-house. It states that the CV-1's battery has a capacity of 90 kilowatt-hours, similar to the Audi e-Tron electric crossover, which boasts 249 miles of range to the CV-1's claimed 217 miles (350 kilometers). Power output is stated to be 220 kilowatts (295 horsepower), and 0-60 is said to take under six seconds. Valery Moroz Ironically, Kalashnikov describes the CV-1's inverter as "revolutionary," stating that it can handle up to 1.2 megawatt-hours of energy despite minimal packaging size and weight. Likewise, the power control module is another self-developed component and it monitors the battery, inverter and motors. Because it's technically a half-century old Soviet car underneath, don't expect the CV-1 to show up in your local showrooms at any point. That said, Kalashnikov did display an itty-bitty city car concept—which it calls the UV-4—at the same event, and specifically denoted it as being for the civilian market. Again, it's not likely you'll see one on American roads any time soon, but it does make Kalashnikov look serious about electric vehicles. It's certainly big on dystopian motorcycles and rideable super-drones. Kalashnikov Concern