The production of all types of vehicles (heavy, commercial and passenger) registered growth in the first seven months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Oct. 22), according to the head of Iran’s Automotive Industry Office.
While Abdollah Tavakkoli Lahijani added that the vehicles produced during the period increased by 12%, he did not mention their precise figures.
“Currently, the production of complete cars has increased in major car manufacturing companies and no incomplete cars were sent to their parking lots,” he was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
“In the past few years, starting from fiscal 2018-19, with the intensification of sanctions, the annual production of 1.4 million vehicles has reduced by half. Also, due to a lack of parts import, the production of incomplete cars increased.”
In the seven fiscal months, van production stood at 1,700 vehicles, up 454% compared with 300 vehicles in the previous year’s corresponding period.
The production of heavy vehicles (including mini trucks, trucks and vehicle pullers) grew by 178% year-on-year to stand at 15,893 vehicles.
Passenger car output hit 545,000 during the period under review, registering a 7% rise compared with the previous year’s corresponding period.
Tavakkoli noted that the production of pickup trucks, as well as buses and minibuses, registered a respective growth of 47% and 37% during the period.
“A total of 239,000 motorcycles were produced during the period, which is expected to reach 500,000 by the end of the year. Since motorcycles play a prominent role in air pollution, high-quality production has been place on the agenda [by manufacturers],” he added.
According to the official, vehicle delivery to customers increased by 30%, as the obligations of automakers declined.
Iran Khodro produced 234,000 vehicles during the period, while its production stood at 21,000 vehicles in the corresponding period of last year.
In addition to the two major car manufacturers, production has increased in the private sector. A total of 96,000 vehicles were produced by the private sector during the period, considerably higher than 39,000 in the same period of last year.
Stressing that sales have increased by 76% and 94% in Iran Khodro and SAIPA, respectively, Tavakkoli said, “SAIPA stopped its car draw, while it is still being conducted by Iran Khodro.”
SAIPA Unveils Shahin Connect
SAIPA Automotive Group has unveiled Shahin Connect, which was developed in cooperation with Irancell, during the Future Cars 2 event held in Tehran on Oct. 19.
The event was attended by Manouchehr Manteqi, deputy industries minister, Mehdi Khatibi, CEO of Iran Khodro Industrial Group, Mohammad Ali Teymouri, CEO of SAIPA Automotive Group, Saeed Tajik, CEO of the Iran Standard & Quality Inspection Company, and Shahriar Zaini, director of the Automotive Group of Advanced Transportation Headquarters at the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.
The flagship car, which is equipped with the latest automotive technologies, was unveiled at the SAIPA Research and Innovation Center, Donyaye Khodro reported.
In terms of design, Shahin Connect is no different from other namesake models released in the market, except for the connected car technology. The ocean blue model had a small spoiler on the trunk.
SAIPA claims that the car has the highest level of technology to connect to rescue and emergency centers [in case of accident or needing repairs], which can greatly increase the safety of this sports sedan.
Benefits of Connected Car Tech
Connected car technology enables cars to "talk" to each other with in-vehicle or aftermarket devices that continuously share important safety and mobility information.
A connected car has its own connection to the internet, usually via a wireless local area network.
A very useful feature of connected cars is Global Positioning System connectivity. Drivers can become aware of real-time traffic conditions and avoid congestion by taking alternate routes. By leveraging GPS connectivity and geofencing, the connected car will be able to suggest the best possible route for continuing the journey.
Increasingly, connected cars (and especially electric cars) are taking advantage of the rise of high-quality smartphones and apps to interact with the car from any distance. Users can unlock their cars, check the status of batteries, find the location of the car, or remotely activate the climate control system.
When asked which SAIPA vehicle was supposed to be equipped with connected car technology, Reza Abdolvand, the deputy CEO of SAIPA Innovation and Research Center, said, "The connected car issue was to be implemented on the QUIK car in the fiscal 2019-20 in cooperation with Irancell. But later it was supposed to be installed on the SP100 project, which is the same car as Shahin, but after a change in management this project was suspended. Finally, we’re seeing the unveiling of Shahin with connected car technology today.”
Abdolvand announced that SAIPA Research and Innovation Center is also working on the Mini Hybrid and Full Hybrid. But, according to the CEO of SAIPA Automotive Group, the company is also going to work on the Shahin Hybrid until next year.
Hamed Samani, a deputy engineer of SAIPA Research and Innovation Center, also mentioned that Shahin Connect has several options, the most important of which is SOS, which works through the car's internet and tracks the nearest emergency center and helps contact it.
Samani noted that Shahin Connect can monitor a driver's behavior and if it confirms that it is correct and principled, the insurance company could reduce its premium for that driver. He added that in European countries, this option is used in modern cars, so after its rules and regulations are devised, it can be advantageous for drivers.
“The connected car feature will also be installed on the hybrid and normal versions. Hopefully, the Shahin Hybrid will be marketed next year,” he said.
Shahin Connect is expected to hit the domestic market soon and as of March 2023, all versions of Shahin will be equipped with the connected car technology.
