Berkan Bayram, President of the Turkish Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Association (TEHAD), said that the start date of the electric vehicle market in Turkey was accepted as 2011, and that the number of electric vehicle sales from 2011 to 2015 progressed at a low level of approximately 200 units.
Reminding that two different models entered the market in Turkey in 2015, Bayram said that although the number of electric vehicles was low in Europe at that time, the European market developed faster due to the large number of models.
“It is pleasing that the number of brands and models is wide”
Pointing out that the announcement of the domestic car Togg, in particular, started to revive the market as of 2018-2019, Bayram said, “However, 20 different electric vehicle models entered the market in 2020. Currently, we see that nearly 30 different brands and models are on the sales list. It is pleasing that the number of models is large because it creates competition in the market.” said.
Expressing that 8,210 electric vehicles were sold in Turkey last year, Bayram said, “The sales share of electric vehicles in Turkey approached 1 percent for the first time as of last year. In the first 4 months of this year, sales were close to 50 percent of last year. However, when compared to Europe, of course, these sales figures are low because the number of electric vehicles sold in Europe in the same period is 1.5 million. Especially Germany, Netherlands, England, Norway and Sweden are the countries with the highest market share of electric vehicles. The total number of electric vehicles sold in Turkey from 2011 to April 2023 reached 17,500. By the end of this year, our expectation is that this figure will reach 30 thousand.” he said.
“In 2030, 1 million electric cars will be sold annually”
Bayram stated that the share of electric vehicles in total vehicle sales has reached between 1.3 percent and 1.5 percent for the first time this year, and this rate is expected to increase to 4 percent by the end of the year.
However, emphasizing that purchasing power is an important factor in this expansion, Bayram said, “If we consider that the national income per capita in Turkey is around 8 thousand 500 euros, the high price and initial purchase cost of electric vehicles causes the citizens not to choose electric vehicles in terms of purchasing power. In countries where electric vehicles are most widely used, this rate starts from around 25-30 thousand euros. Therefore, the rate of electric vehicles in the market remains at the level of 4 to 5 percent in our country.” made its assessment.
“We can say that Togg’s market share can easily reach 20 percent”
Despite this, Bayram emphasized that this rate will change with Togg and continued as follows:
“Togg saw a demand for 174 thousand units in the first order. This means that although there are not that many Toggs in the market, there is such a potential buyer. This is a good indicator that ensures the future of the project. The reason for this demand is Togg because at a price known numerically. “Therefore, a view emerges that 174 thousand people can buy such a vehicle. When you look at the ratio, we can say that Togg’s market share can easily reach 20 percent. Development, both in Turkey and in the world, is already moving towards electric vehicles. Turkey’s net zero target of 2053 is obvious. In order to achieve this, electrification is a must in the transportation sector, which has the largest share in emissions. We will try to close this with the Togg and other models. Therefore, together with Togg, we expect a very rapid expansion in the use of electric vehicles. It is possible to say that electric vehicles will reach a market share of 10 percent in Turkey by 2025. In 2030, 1 million electric cars will be sold annually. Already at the moment, 750 thousand conventional vehicles are sold in Turkey. These will switch to the electric side. By 2030, I’d say 6 to 7 out of 10 cars will be electric.”
