Mir Javad Soleimani, IKCO Vice-president in quality and product development referred to the process of TU5 localization in the past three years and said that the company is cooperating with SAPCO (Supplying Automotive Part Co.) to reach 100% of self-sufficiency in near future.
Soleimani said that production of 352 thousand sets of TU5 engines a year and a relevant cost reduction management are the elements that make full self-sufficiency in engine production necessary.
The vice president reiterated that forty years of experience in engine production, appropriate planning and using Iranian experts' knowledge have resulted in full self-sufficiency in OHV, OHVG, and XU7 engines as well as design and development of EF7, IKCO's first self-developed engine.
Second IKCO-brand car, Runna, will enjoy EF7 and TU5 engines under the hood this year. IKCO also aims to achieve self-reliance in production of TU3 engines in near future. Design and development of required machining lines for machining TU3 cylinder heads and blocks is taking place in IKCO Powertrain company. The line will be put into operation by the yearend.