Uskowi on Iran - اسکویی در باره ایران: substandard fuel

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Iran Khodro New Cars Failing Emission Standards

Police To Stop Registering New Vehicles Built With Euro 2 Standard

By: Jabbar Fazeli, MD

The Iranian equivalent of DMV announced (on 6/22/2013) that new, locally produced, vehicles that are still made to the 1998 "Euro 2" emission standards will no longer be registered. Euro 4 emission standard will be applied for all new car registrations as of the first of the current month. Cars made before that date are exempt.

This news was announced by Ahmad Roustami, a Naja official (1).

Two days prior, Iran also announced (on 6/20/2013) that the distribution of Euro 4 gasoline is now underway (2). Like you, I thought they said they were already using Euro 4 fuel. Some of you may remember the oil Ministry claiming that Iranian gasoline is up to standard, and that the pollution in Tehran and elsewhere had nothing to do with substandard gasoline (6).

Fars news even posted an article in July of 2012 claiming an increase in Euro 4 gasoline, that article is now deleted.

The Iranian regime pushed through synthetic, substandard, gasoline production in October of 2011 to achieve immediate self-sufficiency. They faked the euro 4 status before they finally made it, almost 2 years later.

The action by the department of motor vehicle to refuse registration of brand new cars illustrate the other side of the pollution coin.

Domestically produced Iranian cars are made based on the euro 2 standards and are contributing to pollution just as much as older vehicles. By comparison European vehicles were subject to euro 5 and 6 standards since 2007 (5,7).

Iran maybe cranking up new cars every second, but they might as well be repairing old Junkers when it comes to emissions standards.

A side note: The government is refusing to register the substandard new cars, but is allowing their sale.

I'm sure they have their reasons, but one sure consequence is that ordinary Iranians will now have to bribe someone to register their new "made in Iran" cars.

*Below is the Persian language full report by Jomhouri Islami newspaper, including an interview with officials from the Car Manufacturers association in which they admit making euro 2 standard cars but blame it on lack of availability of Euro 4 gasoline.