Iranian Autos

[KanadaHye]

The second all-Iranian car, named Runna.

Iran Khodro Company has designed and manufactured the car and owns its intellectual property, reported the Mehr News Agency.



Iranian Automaker Bets on Natural Gas

GENEVA — Dear President Obama, I have good news. It turns out that mending relations with Iran isn’t so hard after all. Just remember to smile, ask intelligent questions, and at the end of the conversation suggest a road trip. Thanks to a little four-wheeled diplomacy, there is now an open invitation to visit Tehran and go cruising in an Iran Khodro sedan.


Despite Iran’s rich oil reserves, Iran Khodro, the country’s largest car company, displayed a sedan that runs on compressed natural gas.


In the back of the Green Pavilion here at the auto show is where I found the Iran Khodro Company (IKOC), Iran’s largest auto company, which is presenting a version of its Samand sedan that runs on compressed natural gas.

Based on a Peugeot chassis dating to the 1980s, the Samand is not going to win any beauty contests. It’s boxy and very basic. After poking and prodding at the cars, I struck up a conversation with Alireza Feyzbakhsh, Iran Khodro’s deputy president of export and international affairs.

Possibly amused at the interest this American was taking in the cars, he graciously explained some of the 40-year history of the company, its cooperation with Peugeot-Citroën, and the CNG engine. In Iran, a gallon of gasoline costs roughly 15 cents. So why would the Iran Khodro bother with alternative fuels?

“It’s cleaner, has less CO2 emissions … and promotes a good environmental situation,” explained Mr. Feyzbakhsh. It also doesn’t hurt that, as cheap as gasoline might be, in Iran natural gas is only a fraction of the price elsewhere. And while natural gas doesn’t offer the same power – the fuel is less energy dense than diesel or gasoline – the power loss isn’t extreme enough to be noticed in most driving situations.

“We have sold more than 500,000 CNG cars in Iran in two years,” said Mr. Feyzbakhsh. He added that the company sold 1.2 million vehicles last year, and exports to dozens of countries throughout the Middle East, Asia and Africa. This is Iran Khodro’s first appearance in Geneva, and the company has just begun selling CNG Samands in Switzerland.

When asked if many American journalists has inquired about Iran Khodro during the show, or asked for a test drive at the company’s headquarters in Tehran, Mr. Feyzbakhsh couldn’t resist a good-natured laugh. “No, no. I definitely have not had any American journalists coming over.” But I was welcome to visit anytime, he politely added. “It would be a pleasure to show you my country as it really is.”

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...n-natural-gas/

[Haykakan]

Re: Iranian Autos

Many cars in Armenia have been converted to run on natural gas already. I wish the stupid oligarchs would import this car, it would provide cheap and efficient transportation. The whole import tax system is so messed up in Hayastan.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Iranian Autos

Here are some more Iranian cars

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqkswnYZhx36wGy1AEFCGtjnDrQNPLOYFxP78OOwEJMIMgjf4uUA

http://cache.pakwheels.com/forums/2008/11/19/iranian_hummer_WZH_PakWheels(com).jpg

[Mos]

Re: Iranian Autos

Iranian cars are crap, I've ridden in quiet few and it's pretty bad.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Iranian Autos

They may be crap now, but as they work with other auto makers, they will improve and may hit the world market in the near future.

Reviving Iran auto industry?

Faraj HassanPour:

"The auto industry also is passing a great step happening in generally domestic economy named targeted-subsidies what started approximately since the last days of 2010. That is, some analysts believe that car prices will rise because of increase in production costs stemmed from the expensive row materials; what already has not came in true."



As the Supreme Leader visited auto industry in beginning days of the year and emphasized on more attention in supporting the industry, in administration of the guidance; very great steps has been took in last 9 months. Increase in production, export and service`s quality was chosen as the direction of achieving purposes by the auto industry managers; ensued in valuable achievements.

Depicting itself in the global markets as the representation of Islamic Republic of Iran, our auto industry is in a stage of reviving from such an anarchy because of not having a scheduled development plan and being like an infant who want to be more nursed, though this industry has more than 50 years history, but still claiming needs more helps and supports as one of the biggest domestic industry.

Since the arrival into country, assembly lines has been established and despite the industry in the world to metamorphosis, evolution and development daily, has paid no good enough attention to it. Maybe that is, this industry has not been able to star in the global markets or still in domestic, while this approach faced an energetic evolution along with making of the first National Car called SAMAND.

Persuading the responsible organizations to develop and expand it, car making was recognized as a strategic industry. Production development and brand-making, R&D and participate in global markets by establishing auto plants in other countries was proceeded as a key approach in car making, topping main efforts toward.
In the line with these efforts, planners codified 2025 development strategy of auto industry and automakers has arranged their programs on it.

Now, privatization has arrived and rolled up this industry. Irankhodro and Saipa, the two largest car makers in the country have been privatized this year and the government pulled its foot out from it, undertaking the competition responsibility in the global markets by private-equity shareholders.

In other hand, domestic car makers co-operate with creditable brands such as Peugeot, Renault, and Nissan and so on and gripe as possible on the last technological development in the industry at amid of the sanctions.
The auto industry also is passing a great step happening in generally domestic economy named targeted-subsidies what started approximately since the last days of 2010. That is, some analysts believe that car prices will rise because of increase in production costs stemmed from the expensive row materials; what already has not came in true.

It seems to revolt in this industry soon enough, thus the managers must utilize the last management methods to attain what Iranian car deserve. If not, the auto industry can not to claim the largest auto maker in the Middle East.
At the threshold of this important issue, we are going to report the revolution in any time to inform you about our capabilities in auto industry. This center that began its work today is attempting to analyze the industry events from an accurate and transparent point of view.

http://www.persiankhodro.com/en/show_article.php?c=75

[KanadaHye]

Re: Iranian Autos

Iran's Runna to hit global auto markets
The Middle East's biggest automaker, Iran Khodro Company (IKCO), plans to market a high-standard national vehicle on four continents simultaneously.


The sale of Runna, the company's second national car which is fitted with a 1.6-liter engine, will begin in September 2011, Iran Khodro Industrial Group News Website reported on Wednesday.

About 150,000 units of the vehicle are expected to roll off the production line each year, 25 percent of which are headed abroad.

Javad Najmeddin, IKCO's CEO, described the vehicle as a “fair-priced car [made] based on the most recent standards.”

The website hailed the production as the first of its kind to meet Euro IV and V emission standards -- which were respectively issued for 2005 and 2008. It also pointed to the attention given to pedestrian safety standard in the vehicle's design.

Besides most recent European standards, Runna meets the four-star European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) safety index that awards it a good rank among the cars in the same class. The index takes account of safety for the driver, passengers (adults and children) and pedestrians.

IKCO has production plants in Syria, Senegal, Azerbaijan, Venezuela and Belarus.

Its first national car, which is produced in its most domestic and overseas plants, was named Samand, which has Soren sedan and Sarir limo as its different makes.

HN/HGH/AKM


http://www.presstv.ir/detail/164432.html


It takes no genius to notice that it’s a facelifted Peugeot 206 sedan! You can see that the doors and the roof line are copied from the Peugeot. They only changed the door handles. IKCO claims that the platform of Peugeot 206 sedan is intellectually theirs, and they are right because they developed it all the way. However, at the end of the day the car is a full blooded Peugeot underneath.

http://www.motorward.com/2009/04/ira...edan-unveiled/

[KanadaHye]

Re: Iranian Autos

Turkey and Iran to Spawn New Affordable European Brand



Carmakers selling cars in Europe could soon get a new and tough competitor as Iranian carmaker Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) and Turkey's Hema Endüstri have shaken hands for a new project that will spawn an entirely new automotive brand. The first project will be a passenger car that will be made in Turkey, officials of the two companies said after signing a memorandum of understanding, with more details to be disclosed at a later date.

The two partners are yet to pick a location and a plant to manufacture the new car but, according to official statements, the alliance will soon expand to other segments as well, including lightweight commercial vehicles. The factory will however be based in Turkey, but it's yet unclear whether the car will be exclusively addressed to European markets or it will be also exported to other markets.

Iran has in the last six months lost major players in the auto industry, most of them suspending exports to the country as a result of international sanctions that have been imposed for nuclear development. Toyota, Kia and Daimler are just three big names that decided to pull out of Iran, each of them mentioning that the comeback will happen as soon as the situation calms down a little bit.

“It is true Toyota has stopped exports of vehicles bound for Iran. We plan to continue to closely monitor this sensitive international situation,” Keisuke Kirimoto, a Toyota spokesman was quoted as saying by CNN in mid-2010.

Iran on the other hand targets the European markets and as far as Khodro is concerned, starting production of a new low-budget model might be the right path to success. Khodro has a production capacity of up to 800,000 units, so local production might be a future solution as well.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/tu...and-31656.html

[KanadaHye]

Re: Iranian Autos

It's Iranic errrr... Ironic that sanctions on Iran are making the country stronger. They are becoming more independent as a result.

[Federate]

Re: Iranian Autos

It's Iranic errrr... Ironic that sanctions on Iran are making the country stronger. They are becoming more independent as a result.

Indeed it's not only the auto industry but the huge military industry they have built for themselves, making them effectively self-sufficient. Granted it's not the most advanced weaponry but it is still damn near impressive. They also have their own space program.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_defense_industry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_equipment_manufactured_in_Iran

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Electronics_Industries_%28IEI%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Aviation_Industries_Organization

[KanadaHye]

Re: Iranian Autos

Indeed it's not only the auto industry but the huge military industry they have built for themselves, making them effectively self-sufficient. Granted it's not the most advanced weaponry but it is still damn near impressive. They also have their own space program.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_defense_industry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_equipment_manufactured_in_Iran

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Electronics_Industries_%28IEI%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Av...s_Organization

FEATURE-Iranian car lines keep rolling despite sanctions

KARAJ, Iran, June 29 (Reuters) - In the Iranian summer heat, portable fans cool workers stacking parts in the Middle East's biggest car factory.

But the heavy lifting is unaffected by the soaring temperatures as robots -- from South Korea, Germany and Japan, -- stamp sheets of steel into body panels, shaking the floors at a busy plant which shows no signs of being crippled by international sanctions.

"I think the sanctions make us stronger," said Amirshahab Yarian, one of the 25,000 workers at Iran Khodro's main plant just outside Tehran, as sparks flew into the air from robot welders on one production line producing 30 car bodies per hour.

Unusually for the Middle East, Iran has developed its domestic car industry for five decades and produced 1.6 million vehicles last year, about half of them made by Iran Khodro which aims to export around 10 percent of its production this year.

Even with sanctions, which have scared off some suppliers from exporting to Iran, and a limp economy, Iran Khodro says sales rose 18 percent in 2010 and plans a 13 percent output increase this year to 860,000 vehicles.

"Iran Khodro isn't under sanctions," said Abdollah Babaei, Khodro's international relations director. "It's the foreign companies that used to work with us that are under sanctions."

It is a familiar refrain in Iran which insists that sanctions -- aimed at pressuring Tehran to curb its nuclear work -- have not only failed to hurt the economy but have actually made it more robust by forcing manufacturers to rely more on domestic production rather than imports.

"Our strategy to overcome sanctions was to reduce dependence on foreign vehicle parts," Babaei told Reuters in his office from whose window the still snow-capped Alborz mountains provide a backdrop to the industrial production just outside. "More than 90 percent of our parts are domestically produced."


Can read the rest below:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...73208520110629