Iran (IMNA) - A memorandum of understanding to begin the replacement program was signed on Monday, September 14, between Farshad Moghimi, deputy minister and head of the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO), and Ali Ghasemzadeh, mayor of Isfahan. Under the first phase of the initiative, 560 motorcycles will gradually be replaced through four packages of 140 electric motorcycles each.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Ghasemzadeh said Isfahan’s air pollution had reached an increasingly critical level, noting that the city has recorded as few as 10 to 15 clean-air days in some years.
He said two comprehensive studies conducted by Isfahan University of Technology and the University of Isfahan had examined the contribution of different sources to the city’s air pollution.
The findings of both studies indicate that mobile sources account for a significant share of emissions, challenging the common perception that heavy industries, including steel plants, the Isfahan Steel Company and refineries, are the dominant sources of the city’s air pollution, the mayor said.
Among mobile sources, aging motorcycles are a particularly significant contributor, Ghasemzadeh said. According to estimates cited by the mayor, an old motorcycle can produce as much pollution as several new cars, with some estimates putting the equivalent at around seven new vehicles.
Ghasemzadeh stressed that Isfahan’s air pollution cannot be resolved through a single measure or within a short period, saying the city has been pursuing the issue more seriously for the past five or six years.
“Air pollution is generated gradually by multiple sources, and reducing it requires the same gradual approach,” he said, emphasizing the need to identify, manage and control individual sources of emissions over time.
The replacement of aging motorcycles with electric models is being pursued as one of those measures.
The mayor said the initiative was significant not only because of its environmental objectives but also because it brings together the municipality, IDRO and the private sector in a three-way partnership that could potentially serve as a model for other cities.
With the signing of the agreement, he said, the project has now entered its implementation phase.
Isfahan has been preparing the necessary infrastructure for the transition to electric motorcycles for around two years, including the installation of charging facilities and efforts to promote public acceptance of electric mobility.
Ghasemzadeh said the project’s success would depend not only on supplying electric motorcycles but also on ensuring that users could operate them effectively and were willing to adopt the new technology.
A pilot phase has already been carried out, he added, with prospective users testing the electric motorcycles in Isfahan and confirming that the vehicles could meet their operational needs.
The city has also designated 15 motorcycle charging points across its 15 municipal districts, according to the mayor.
“We are trying to ensure that this project is implemented sustainably and does not become merely a short-term or symbolic measure,” Ghasemzadeh said.
He expressed hope that the Isfahan pilot would succeed and pave the way for the wider production and deployment of electric motorcycles and the renewal of aging motorcycle fleets in other Iranian cities.
The initiative is part of Isfahan’s broader efforts to reduce air pollution and improve residents’ quality of life through changes to the city’s transportation system and gradual transition toward cleaner mobility.
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