Jahanro Industrial Group, a local manufacturer of motorcycles, is set to launch production of an electric motorbike jointly designed with Sharif University's Shahid Rezaei Research Center.
As a pioneer in the production of electric two-wheelers, Jahanro announced that the mass production of the electricity-powered bike is slated for the coming months, reported the local automotive website Asre Khodro.
The electric bike has been designed through a joint venture named "Bana Sharif" between Jahanro and the research center.
Hamid Tebyanian, technical and engineering deputy at Jahanro, talked about the challenges involved in producing e-bikes in Iran. He cited a lack of cooperation on the part of executive entities as the foremost barrier to such projects. "The government, municipalities and state bodies should contribute their due share to get the industry going," he added.
He further noted that the success of this project hinges on the provision of the required infrastructures such as charging stations. "Since manufacturing companies cannot afford the independent establishment of these facilities, municipalities should take on the task and finance the projects."
Presently, there is only a single EV charging station designed and constructed by Energy the Ministry's Niroo Research Institute which is not available to the public yet and is merely going through a trial phase.
>Marketing Hurdles
Another issue raised by Tebyanian was the burdensome task of marketing which manufacturers cannot tackle single-handedly—a problem exacerbated by a low demand considering a dearth of infrastructures.
According to him, Jahanro can produce 30,000 to 40,000 e-bikes annually and hopes to gain a foothold in the export sector.
Regarding the provision of after-sale services, Tebyanian stated that every single supplier is in charge of devising plans in this regard, and as all components are produced domestically, customers need not worry about acquiring spare parts.
The two-wheelers can travel 60 to 80 kilometers per day, and models equipped with 2 to 4-kilowatt batteries can handle a 20-degree slope. In addition, Jahanro says the lithium batteries used in the bikes can be recharged easily.
Electric motorcycles can help reduce air pollution, as environment-friendly technologies are used in their production.
Officials at the Department of Environment have reported that 20% of air pollution in major cities like Tehran is produced by motorcycles.
