Local brand powers Turkey’s rocketing EV sales

REUTERS/Steve Marcus

The sale of electric vehicles (EVs) in Turkey surged 465 percent year on year in the first half of 2023, driven by the country’s first local car and the launch of new brands.

12,792 EVs were sold in the year to June, the Daily Sabah newspaper reported, citing data from the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD). 2,263 EVs were sold in the same period last year.

Sales of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles jumped 47.5 percent annually in the first half of this year to 43,649 units.

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EVs are becoming popular after Turkey’s first domestically produced vehicle, Togg, hit the roads in April. The company had delivered 808 units of its T10X by the end of June and plans to deliver 20,000 units by the end of 2023.

The market share of battery-powered vehicles hit three percent in the first half of 2023 compared to 0.8 percent a year earlier. However, hybrid vehicles’ share stood at 10.2 percent, down from 10.6 percent.

Cars powered by gasoline held a 68.9 percent share in overall sales in the January-June period, falling from 69.7 percent a year ago, the data showed.

Overall, passenger cars and light commercial vehicle sales reached 555,867 units, an increase of 55.3 percent yearly.