Page 73 - IRANRptAug22

9.2.2 Automotive corporate news
Iran’s SAIPA to ship 10,000 cars to Venezuela
IKCO unveils Iran’s first crossover vehicle Rira
Tehran’s Iran Tire announces relocation and expansion project
Iran’s second largest automaker SAIPA Corp is set to deliver 10,000 cars in complete knockdown (CKD) form to Venezuela, Mashregh News reported on August 2.
SAIPA previously had a presence in the far-flung country as part of a joint venture called Venirauto created during the presidencies of Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Shipments of vehicle parts from Iran stumbled in the late 2000s, however, with images of half-built Iranian cars languishing in factory car storage areas in Venezuela.
Venezuelan Minister of Transportation and head of the Venezuelan branch of the Joint Economic Commission of Iran and Venezuela, Ramon Blazquez, visited the Saipa Research and Innovation centre and exchanged opinions in a joint meeting with the CEO of the group regarding joint cooperation and car production in Venezuela.
Mohammad Ali Timuri, CEO of SAIPA, while presenting a report on the performance of the group in the field of new product production, said: “Saipa has good plans in the field of producing new and modern products and will soon introduce new products to the market.
Iran’s largest carmaker Iran Khodro (IKCO) has unveiled the first Iranian-made crossover. Named the Rira, it is based off a Peugeot 2008, Asbe Bokhar has reported.
The development of the model has been stymied by US sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic over Tehran’s nuclear programme. The US placed specific automotive sanctions on the country in 2018 as part of former US president Donald Trump’s so-called maximum pressure campaign. IKCO partner PSA Group pulled out of Iran under sanctions pressure, following its merger with other companies including US automakers to create automotive giant Stellantis.
The Rira is equipped with an EF7 Plus turbocharged engine, or TC7 Plus. The 1.7-litre 16-valve turbocharged four-cylinder engine is capable of producing 160 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 240 Nm of torque at 1,600 to 4,500 rpm. The unveiling comes weeks after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi ordered domestic car manufacturers to speed up plans to reform their production and sales systems. The reform programme has been hit by several snags, not least the departure of PSA Group from Iran.
Tehran-based Iran Tire, a manufacturer of passenger car, truck and bus tyres, is relocating its production site to support further expansion and meet stricter environmental standards brought in by the government, European Rubber Journal (ERJ) has reported.
At a cost of €130mn, Iran Tire will relocate to to MahdiShahr, around 220 kilometres northeast of the capital city, Hassan Salehi, vice president for development and technology at the company, said in a statement provided to ERJ.
The relocation and expansion project reportedly means that from 2024, Iran Tire will boast a “brand new” 25 kilotonne per annum (ktpa) production capacity for passenger car and light truck tyres.
Total tyre production is to be brought to 40ktpa, according to the statement. The existing factory has the capacity to manufacture 28 ktpa of tyres/year. The new plant will largely rely on Chinese equipment.
The final phase of the project will deliver a 20 ktpa production line for truck and bus radial tyres, according to the report.
73 IRAN Country Report August 2022 www.intellinews.com