Iranian Startup Promises Delivered Tires

A new Iranian startup called Hypertire.com has gone online with the promise of cheaper and better quality tires that "fit quickly to vehicles."

Hypertire was launched in Tehran at the beginning of this year with its promise to help save people money on their car tires.

Described as the "first tire hypermarket", the service uses a mobile workshop that whizzes around the capital to deliver services with its range of mechanics on call, according to local Internet news agency WEBNA.

Hypertire says it is able to deliver tires to customers in less than three hours in Tehran.

The system is backed by tire stockists in the sprawling capital of more than 12 million people, meaning the mobile workshop doesn't need to carry excess stock.

According to the company website, it allows a customer to pick the price bracket of the tire, which is then sourced and fitted on the spot wherever the car is, according to its GPS location.

The system also uses the social messaging app Telegram and has a direct artificial intelligence 'robot' which can assist the user in selecting tires.

The firm stocks local and foreign tires including Hankook and Sumitomo.

Foreign Brands  

For example, an imported Hankook tire for a Peugeot 206 costs roughly 4 million rials ($186), according to the website, which also lists a much cheaper 'WinterTech' tire for the same car at 2.7 million rials ($72).

The website says an app is also available that offers the same 'tire finding' service.

Hypertire is similar to another website launched in Britain in 2001 called Blackcircles.com. The website finds the cheapest tire in any vicinity and the price range one may require. After that it directs the buyer to a fitting center.

There are eight tire manufacturers in Iran, most of which were established before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Over the past four decades, only two tire manufacturing factories started work,, namely Yazd Tire and Barez Manufacturing Group. The two are reportedly doing well.

Dena Tire and Rubber Manufacturing Company, Yazd Tire, Alborz Tire and Iran Tire Manufacturing Co. account for the lion's share of the local market.

The main raw materials of tires are natural and synthetic rubber. Synthetic rubber is supplied by the local petrochemical industry and natural rubber is imported.

On average, 350,000 tons of rubber is consumed annually in Iran.