Page 54 - IRANRptJun20

Petropars has been instrumental in carrying out ​South Pars​ ​projects. Its latest project in the field, Phase 23, saw the installation of a platform last November. The 2,500 tonne structure, to act as the second main platform for Phases 22-24 (SP22-24), was installed by an HL-5000 vessel. Earlier it was reported that Petropars was carrying out the platform assignment in place of a Chinese investor.
Petropars is owned by Naftiran Intertrade Co. (NICO), a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).
9.2.2 ​Automotive corporate news
Iranian electric bike producer gets green light for mass production
Iran’s Safe Khodro begins production of Chinese SWM crossover
Iranian startup Bana Sharif Electric Vehicle Group has received permission to start mass production following the testing of its own electric bike design, IFP has reported.
Bana Sharif is among several joint venture companies that have emerged from the four-year-old accelerator programme at Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology. It was created to commercialise postgraduate projects and generate income for the university. Prior to the creation of the accelerator programme, many Sharif graduates emigrated to the US and elsewhere to continue their research, according to Persian-language media reports.
Bana Sharif is a JV formed by the university and local motorcycle company Jahanro. It previously produced old Honda motorcycle montage kits.
Pouyan Ahmadizadeh, Bana Sharif’s CEO, reportedly said that the company’s electric bike prototype was ready for the move into the commercial stage and that all but one of the licences permitting it to take a place in the market had been obtained.
“Obtaining a plate licence is one of the final steps. If approved, the last problems in the way of commercialising the product will be resolved,” said Ahmadizadeh.
The vehicle has a range of around 65 kilometres while each charge would cost the equivalent of around €0.06, under the current standard Iranian tariff. Electric bikes and cars in Iran have struggled to make an impact due to a lack of incentives provided by the government to move away from cheap petrol-based transport.
IKCO and SAIPA, the two main automakers in Iran, have previously announced electric drivetrains for planned vehicles, but to date no specific models have been announced.
Small Iranian car producer Safe Khodro has started assembling Chinese car brand SWM’s G01F crossover model, ​Persian Khodro​ magazine has reported.
The auto manufacturer, which lists another Chinese brand, BISU, as a partner, began production of model after more than two months of delay caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The SWM cross is the latest Chinese vehicle to find a home in Iran, following the arrival of brands like Chery and Lifan which have committed to substantial investments in the country.
The Chinese model is set to be the first of three different automobiles to be supplied by the Iranian company. It was already priced at IRR3.75bn (€22,000 at the free market rate), but latest market data suggest the price could increase.
The SWM G01 is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that can produce a maximum of 156 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque and has a six-speed automatic transmission.
The G01 was designed in Italy following the purchase of the SWM motorbike
54​ IRAN Country Report June 2020 www.intellinews.com