MUNICH-Siemens VDO Automotive is acquiring 51 percent of automotive supplier AVTEL (Kuluga, Russia), a joint venture made up of the Russian companies Avtoelectronica and NPP ELCAR.

AVTEL, founded in 1999, produces a variety of automotive components, including engine controls, sensors and injectors. In 2005, the company, which employs about 300, recorded $45 million in sales.