Iranian carmaker Iran Khodro says no longer dependent on Peugeot

TEHRAN,Dec.26(MNA) - Iranian carmaker Iran Khodro reached self-sufficiency in manufacturing car parts which had been supplied by French Peugeot. Iran Khodro CEO Javad Najmeddin told that after 23 years the company has managed to manufacture Peugeot 206 and Runna cars without the need to be supported by Peugeot. Currently, the Iranian automotive industry exports products to around 40 countries, he noted. On November 27, ISNA reported that several car companies in Iran have halted their production, which caused the amount of car brands in Iran to diminish. Such car brands as Nissan, Peugeot (sedan and hatchback), Toyota for several reasons, stopped their car manufacturing in Iran several months ago. Because French Peugeot Company and Iran Khodro stopped the co-operation, the manufacturing of Peugeot 206 in Iran has stopped. As for Nissan's Maxima brand, the giant car manufacturer from Japan halted its business in Iran after 11 years. Meanwhile, Iran plans to manufacture at least three million cars by 2025 and export some one million sets, the Fars News Agency quoted Industry, Mine, and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari as saying on June 16. “Some 1.6 million cars were manufactured in the past calendar year and 55,000 cars were exported,” Ghazanfari said.