Page 46 - IRANRptApr20

presence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Toranji.ir reported.
Two of the vehicles had already been unofficially unveiled, namely the SAIPA Roham hatchback, which was revealed to the market in 2018, and the Dena Plus Turbo, released in January.
The first of the vehicles that are entirely new to the market is a large four-door saloon produced by IKCO, presented under the working title K132. It is a Peugeot “C-platform vehicle”. If it is moved into general production, it will and the largest car produced by an Iranian automaker.
The second is a SAIPA Roham crossover vehicle with better suspension than its predecessor, but similar in length. If it is released on the market it will become the first West Asia-produced crossover vehicle.
In a separate presentation, Iran Khodro Powertrain Company (IPCO) unveiled its first all-electric version of the Runna, dubbed the “RANA,” AzerTac reported. It comes with a 30-kilowatt-hour battery, making it able to run 220 kilometres non-stop before recharging. According to the company information, 50% of RANA's components are domestically manufactured.
It is currently unknown if the vehicle will be for sale on the market, but if it is then it is expected to cost three times the regular petrol version of the Runna, Mehr news agency added.
On February 7, MAPNA Group, the largest engineering firm in Iran, signed a memorandum with SAIPA to start the production of electric vehicles. As part of that deal, SAIPA and MAPNA will work to develop their own electric drivetrain and modify their vehicles.
Neither IKCO or SAIPA have said which battery producer they are working with internationally, but in 2016 IKCO signed an agreement with South Korea’s LG Chem. It is unknown if that deal still stands given the pressure brought to bear by US sanctions.
9.2.3​ Aviation corporate news
Iran’s second biggest airline, Mahan Air, has dropped all flights to Thailand and Malaysia amid the coronavirus outbreak, IRNA reported on March 10.
The fortunes of Mahan Air—owned by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—have sunk in recent years. Back in 2015, it was known as a low-cost long-haul airline that offered prices as low as £300 from Birmingham, UK, to Bangkok. But the carrier has been heavily targeted with US sanctions, with Washington accusing it of transporting weapons and personnel to Middle East conflict zones. It is unable to purchase new airliners from either Boeing or Airbus and several other Western manufacturers and is now largely known for its flights to Far East destinations including China..
According to a statement from the Malaysian Ministry of Health, due to the coronavirus epidemic in Iran—the world’s third worst with 9,000 infections by March 11—non-Malaysian travellers who have been in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Qom or Gilan for up to 7 days prior to their trip to Malaysia are temporarily banned from entry to the country. However, Malaysian passport holders, or travellers with a Malaysian permanent residence permit or a student visa, will be allowed in.
It was not known whether Thai authorities had banned Mahan Air from Thailand.
On March 8, European aviation authorities announced a temporary blanket ban on IranAir, the Islamic Republic’s flag carrier. But on March 10 the ban was dropped. A ban on IranAir flights introduced by Swedish authorities remains in place.
46​ IRAN Country Report April 2020 www.intellinews.com