The deputy director of Industrial Development and Renovation Organization for car industries stated that a preliminary timetable has been drawn up and product development groups have been formed to manufacture three models of hybrid cars.

Reza Mofidi added that negotiations have been made with a number of domestic universities for defining and developing research projects and we are finalizing some contracts with them. We are also in talks with some renowned foreign companies to employ consultants for developing motive engines. The process of assessing and selecting qualified consultants is in the final stages, he said.

Pursuant to signing a contract in February last year between the Ministry of Industries and Mines and the Presidential Office for Scientific and Technology aiming to design and manufacture three samples of hybrid cars, the executive committee of the plan started working under the supervision of IDRO and Iran Khodro Company, as the project executor.

According to him, the contract was signed in line with improving and boosting the country’s industries relying on indigenized knowledge as well as expanding scientific and technological cooperation between universities and industries with the aim of attaining a decent position in the field of technology and production and also obtaining advanced technologies in car making industries.

It should be noted that hybrid cars use two sources of power for moving. In this plan, internal combustion engines and electric engines have been used. Carrying out studies, obtaining related technical knowledge and technology in different fields of managing motive engines, batteries, capacitors, electric motors, accumulators, power generation and transmission circuits, also designing and manufacturing sample cars until adaptation and confirmation stages for launching large scale production lines are among objectives of the plan.