Turkey invites China’s Chery to develop electric vehicles

Chery

Turkey has invited Chinese carmaker Chery to invest in developing electric vehicles (EV) in the country, according to industry and technology minister Fatih Kacır.

“I invited the brand, which produced 250,000 vehicles last month, to invest in our country,” Hurriyet Daily News reported, citing the minister’s post on social messaging platform X.

“We will continue to work to make Turkey an EV production base,” he said following his visit to Chery’s production facilities.

In September, Chery sold 171,262 vehicles in a single month, a year-on-year increase of 20.8 percent, as sales crossed 150,000 vehicles for two consecutive months, according to a company statement.

The company’s sales in overseas markets have continued to reach new highs and overseas expansion has been steadily advancing.

In February, Chery announced plans to invest $400 million to build a factory in Argentina, expecting to produce an annual output of 100,000 vehicles by 2030. It has 10 production bases in Brazil and Egypt, and six research and development centres. 

Turkey’s EV market is increasing, with Chinese companies increasing their share in the local market.

The number of passenger cars imported from China surpassed 51,000 in the first 11 months of 2023, grabbing a six percent share in the Turkish market, according to the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association.

About 35,000 are gasoline-powered vehicles of Chery, while 15,000 EVs were imported from China.

Earlier this month, Renault Group said it would invest $430.92 million by 2027 to produce four new models in Turkey, including a new low-cost SUV.

The new models will be made in collaboration with the French carmaker’s local partner Oyak at their site in the northwestern Bursa province of Turkey, Daily Sabah newspaper reported.