NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) – Avid car lover and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin drove Russia’s first gasoline-electric hybrid car on Friday to visit political partner President Dmitry Medvedev.
Called Yo-mobile, the car is a personal project of billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who has said it could bring Russia a competitive edge in the global automotive industry, where the country is better known for its boxy Lada cars.
“I would like to drive your Yo-mobile to Dmitry Anatolievich (Medvedev), and show it to him …
I hope your Yo-mobile will not fall apart on the way,” Putin told Prokhorov at a meeting just outside of Moscow.
About 5 kilometres (3 miles) separate Putin’s Novo-Ogaryovo country residence, nestled in a pine forest outside Moscow, from Medvedev’s home in Gorki.
The ca…