Afghan firm unveils locally-produced vehicles

An Afghan company on Wednesday unveiled a fleet of brand new battery-powered passenger vehicles and mini-trucks which were all made locally.

Using some mechanical parts from China, Amin Noor Industrial Companies has created 11 models ranging between $1200-$2500 and have produced 200 vehicles to date.

“We are confident that the Afghan market will welcome these types of products,” Afghanistan’s Minister of Economy Mustafa Mastoor said at a ceremony in Kabul.

Company officials said it took three years to be able to produce 80 percent of the parts used. They have hopes to produce parts they currently import such as the engine, tires and glass for windows in the next five to 10 years. The company does not have a production goal but will manufacture vehicles according to orders, officials said.

Afghanistan, a country that has been ravaged by decades of war and violence, relies mostly on imports for vehicles.

(Source: Reuters)