In his address, MAPNA Group President Mohammad Owliya said that the activities of MAPNA Mobility had officially started that day after months of prior planning. He noted that the division has two main components, namely railway and electric transportation.
“Our railway branch is well-established and has strong goals and strategies for development, both in business and technology,” Owliya said. “Our electric transportation branch is newer and has been growing rapidly in the last five years.”
The conglomerate entered the realm of electric transportation in 2018 as MAPNA Electric & Control Engineering & Manufacturing (MECO) started developing prototypes, Owliya said. “In the last two years, we have entered the commercial phase and signed contracts with various partners.”
For electric cars, MAPNA has partnered with Kerman Motor to produce electric versions of the j4 platform. The company has completed the development and testing of two models, and is now starting mass production, according to Owliya.
For electric buses, MAPNA has signed a contract with Oghab Afshan. The company has also made and tested e-bus prototypes for Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz and Isfahan municipalities, and has also signed a contract to produce 500 electric buses for Tehran, he added.
Owliya also touched upon the efforts to develop the required infrastructure for electric vehicles such as chargers, software, and other services. He pointed to an agreement that was recently signed with Tehran Municipality to launch 15 EV charging stations across the Iranian capital. He also referred to another contract for establishing battery swapping stations for electric motorcycles.
Furthermore, Owliya said that MAPNA was about to inaugurate a battery factory as the equipment for the production line was being procured. “Batteries are important for electric transportation, as well as for data centers, power plants, etc. It is important to enter this field especially given that Iran has access to minerals like lithium,” he said.
Owliya expressed hope for a “bright future” for MAPNA Mobility given its missions in railway, electrification, and battery sections, as well as in areas that may later be added to the division.
In his address, Emam hoped MAPNA Mobility could “open a new page” in the activities of MAPNA Group. He noted that the management team would focus on issues such as development of transportation, partnership with governmental and non-governmental clients, and various contract models and projects.
Meanwhile, Owliya appreciated the efforts of Babak Ahmadi during his tenure as the head of rail transportation division, which is now merged into MAPNA Mobility.
