Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) has produced more than 400,000 passenger, heavy and semi-heavy vehicles in the current fiscal year’s first eight months (March 21-Nov. 21).
“The company’s record sale of last fiscal year [ended March 20], which reached 458,208 cars, is expected to be broken by the end of the ninth fiscal month [Dec. 21],” according to Iran Khodro’s deputy director for development and production.
“A total of 395,412 passenger and commercial vehicles have been sold during March 21-Nov. 21, which figure will exceed last year's sales by Dec. 21,” Kianoush Pourmojib was also quoted as saying by Donyaye Khodro.
“Currently, daily production averages 2,700 units, hence car supply condition is also good,” he added.
Referring to IKCO's production and supply, the official noted that in the ninth fiscal month (started Nov. 22), the monthly supply record has been broken with the delivery of 57,736 cars.
"The number of car sales during the same period has been unprecedented since the mandatory installation of license plates in the third month of the fiscal 2018-19 and is considered a significant record,” he said.
Pourmojib explained that completing cars with deficit parts and the production of complete vehicles has increased the supply of products.
"This year, we managed to exceed the sale of 50,000 cars twice, and this happened once in the third fiscal month [May 22-June 21] and again in the fourth fiscal month [June 22-July 22]," he said.
Hailing the current situation as the achievement of the direct pass production plan, the official said, “The production plan, which was carried out alongside supply chain measures, the cooperation of IKCO’s employees and the support of the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade, has considerably helped increase complete cars, overcome the crisis of incomplete production and improve the quality of products. The result of product quality evaluation by the Iran Standard and Quality Inspection Company also confirms this issue.”
Underlining the strict quality control in the production and supply stages, Pourmojib said the goal of Iran Khodro is to provide modern, updated and high-quality products and offer optimal services to customers, which is being achieved with the participation of the supply chain, production and after-sales service groups.
Vehicle Production Rises by 12%
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 the fiscal 2018-19, with the intensification of sanctions, the annual production of 1.4 million vehicles reduced by half and the production of incomplete cars increased due to a lack of imported parts.”
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 significant role in air pollution, high-quality production has been placed on the agenda [of 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 output of 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 the 39,000 vehicles produced 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 has stopped its car draw, while it is still being conducted by Iran Khodro.”
