Plans Devised to Make Iran Region’s Top Automaker: Minister

Reporting "Asre Khodro", According to the 10-year plan, Iran should top the list of the region’s auto makers, take the 5th place in Asia and the 11th place in the world, Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said at the 3rd Iran Auto Industry International Conference in Tehran on Tuesday.

Under the plan, he added, Iran should manufacture 3 million light vehicles and 120,000 heavy ones each year, with 1/3 and 1/4 of the produced light and heavy vehicles allocated for export, respectively.

Nematzadeh noted that the plan also includes initiatives for joint investment, rise in exports, production of hybrid and electric cars, technical upgrade in homegrown engines, as well as the administration’s non-interference in pricing to allow the free market to set the prices.

He noted that under the plan half of the vehicles are expected to be designed inside the country, while the other half will include foreign brands.

Earlier this week, Iran signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with three automakers from Sweden, Turkey and India.

Back in January, Iran Khodro and French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen signed an agreement over a joint-venture to produce cars, worth 500 million euros ($545 million).

According to the deal, Peugeot 2008 crossover, 208 supermini and 301 compact cars will be manufactured inside Iran under the 50-50 joint venture.

The new contracts follow the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a lasting nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) that took effect on January 16.

Source: Tasnim