Growing demand for green cars has led to a wealth of new manufacturers emerging attempting to pip the leading companies to the punch with the production of innovative new technology. That has meant that the motoring strongholds of Japan, America and Western Europe have been challenged by companies from as far afield as India, Israel and now, Iran.
According to reports, Iranian automakers have produced more than 120,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) and petroleum vehicles during the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-July 21) which use both natural gas and gasoline.
The likes of Iran Khodro, the number one car manufacturer in Iran, have increased production of combined CNG and petroleum vehicles by more than 20 fold in the last year. Dual fuel car production has risen from around 20,000 two years ago to 429,000 last year.
Despite being the world’s fourth largest oil producer, Iran is feeling the pinch as its refineries are lacking and there is a severe shortage – as a result, the Iranian government implemented a gasoline rationing programme last year.
Now Iran has turned firmly to green cars with the Iranian cabinet stating that 60 per cent of vehicles produced this year (to end on March 20, 2009) must be dual-fuel or full CNG vehicles.
What do you make of Iran’s progress? Should the rest of the world learn from its advances? Let us know your thoughts.
