Saeid Rahman-Salari said Tuesday, on the sidelines of a meeting with representatives of online freight and passenger transportation platforms that owners of eligible vehicles will be able to register and select an authorized conversion workshop after receiving a text message.

He said government support for factory-produced dual-fuel vehicles and the conversion of gasoline-powered vehicles has increased 23% since the beginning of the year compared with the same period last year.

Rahman-Salari said nonprice policies aimed at managing the gasoline supply-demand imbalance helped increase national CNG consumption by about 5% in August compared with July.

Growth varied across provinces, he said, noting that CNG consumption in Kerman province rose 30% in August from the same month last year.

Daily CNG consumption in Iran currently stands at about 15 million cubic meters, Rahman-Salari said, adding that consumption varies throughout the year. CNG use typically peaks after schools reopen and declines during the summer.

High-mileage online vehicles identified for registration

The first step in expanding CNG use among vehicles operating on online transportation platforms will begin Saturday, Sept. 12, with text-message invitations sent to high-mileage vehicles, Rahman-Salari said.

The messages will be sent gradually so vehicle owners can complete the dual-fuel conversion process as quickly as possible, he said.

Eligible vehicles will be identified based on the highest mileage and performance records reported by online transportation platforms.

After receiving the text message, vehicle owners can complete their registration and select an authorized workshop through the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Co.’s system at gcr.niopdc.ir.

Fourth-generation kits address engine concerns

Rahman-Salari said concerns about potential engine damage from CNG have been addressed through the introduction of fourth-generation dual-fuel conversion kits.

Last year, Iran began transitioning to the new generation of conversion kits, eliminating concerns related to engine wear and damage, he said. The share of fourth-generation kits used in vehicle conversions has increased from less than 1% to more than 85% to 90%.

The fourth-generation kits are manufactured domestically using the latest global technologies, Rahman-Salari said.

Compared with first-generation kits, the new systems reduce fuel consumption by 15%, increase vehicle range by 15% and cut emissions by 10%, he said.

In older first-generation kits, the amount of gas injected into the cylinders remained constant, which under some conditions could increase combustion temperatures and cause engine-component corrosion.

In fourth-generation systems, the dual-fuel kit’s electronic control unit, or ECU, is synchronized with the vehicle’s ECU. This allows gas injection to be adjusted intelligently based on engine load, road gradient and vehicle speed, eliminating problems associated with higher engine temperatures and component corrosion, Rahman-Salari said.

CNG share targeted at 14% by end of Seventh Development Plan

Rahman-Salari said government policies focus on increasing the share of alternative fuels and managing the gasoline supply-demand imbalance.

Under the targets set by Iran’s Seventh Development Plan, CNG’s share of the fuel mix for the country’s light-duty vehicles is expected to rise from the current 11% to more than 14% by the end of 2028, he said.