The first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) from Saipa, Iran’s second-largest automaker, is projected to enter the market by the end of March 2024.
Mohammad Ali Teymouri, CEO of Saipa, has stated that the company will be able to develop a hybrid version of its well-known model, the Arya, after delivering the first batch of PHEVs to customers in the Iranian market.
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Teymouri’s comment comes five years after Saipa debuted a prototype of its first PHEV, the Saina EV. The vehicle was a collaboration between Saipa and the Iran’s Khajeh Nasir University of Technology, the company declared at the time. This comes as Saipa’s competitor IKCO, the largest automaker in Iran based on output, revealed plans for the commercial introduction of its all-electric Tara EV model this year. Additionally, the company unveiled Electric RANA for customers in the Iranian market.
Since US sanctions were put in place against Iran in 2018, its domestic automotive industry has expanded significantly. Carmakers have benefited from a higher proportion of the domestic market as well as a significant rise in the supply of steel and other raw materials from local manufacturers.
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According to government statistics, vehicle output in Iran has increased by nearly 40% year on year as of the first quarter of this calendar year.
Saipa’s Saina EV Prototype
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