Russian EV Atom Maker Blames Banks for Not Paying Employees on Time
Russia’s grand dream of building a domestic electric vehicle, the Atom, just hit a tiny, hilarious speed bump: actually paying the people who build it. But don't worry, they claim it was just a minor bank glitch.
The developer behind the ambitious Russian electric car, Atom, found itself in a tight spot after failing to pay its staff for up to 43 days. The company, JSC Kama, blamed these minor inconveniences on "technical difficulties" with their financial partners.
Apparently, designing a futuristic EV is much easier than figuring out how direct deposit works in a heavily sanctioned economy. Internal leaks revealed that the actual culprit was a massive cash flow gap caused by delayed money transfers from the state-backed Promsvyazbank.
Reports surfaced that the company was not only withholding wages since May 2026 but had also started quietly laying off staff to keep the sinking ship afloat. While some employees received their June paychecks on time, others had to survive on pure enthusiasm and promises of a brighter, electrified future.
By early July, JSC Kama claimed that all financial plumbing issues had been fully resolved and every single ruble was paid out. They eagerly announced that preparation for mass production in Moscow is still on track, alongside a fully prepared vehicle service network.
It is truly peak tech comedy when a startup boasts about being ready for mass-producing high-tech vehicles while simultaneously struggling to complete a basic bank transfer for its workforce. One can only wonder if the cars themselves will require a "temporary technical adjustment" every time they encounter a steep hill.
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