In order to increase its independence from other states, Turkiye has recently implemented a variety of political and economic reforms. It is currently witnessing a significant advancement in the vehicle sector. Turkey’s Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG) is starting to produce the nation’s first-ever automobile.
On October 29, the brand-new TOGG car plant started producing cars. Given that it is the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, the date has a very clear meaning.
In order to increase Turkey’s independence from international automakers, TOGG was created in 2018. According to an automotive specialist Emre zpeynirci, who has closely followed the TOGG project, “it is a significant move contributing to the growth of Turkey’s car sector.”
The manufacturing facility of TOGG near Istanbul will produce 17,000 to 18,000 electric automobiles in the upcoming year. The facility is intended to accommodate up to 175,000 vehicles annually, a goal that decision-makers hope to achieve in the following five years.
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Even though the TOGG factory has started producing, it will be some time before the first car is offered for sale. According to the company, the first vehicles will be available by March 2023.
TOGG Price
TOGG intends to sell its SUV for 900,000 Turkish lira (about 50,000 euros), which is out of reach for the majority of Turks. According to zpeynirci, the average consumer cannot spend more than 500,000 Lira on a new vehicle.
Not only will many people find this retail pricing disappointing. Additionally, Turkey lacks the infrastructure required for electric vehicles. According to Automotive Data CEO Hüsamettin Yalçn, “Turkey’s infrastructure is not yet prepared to move to e-cars.” According to him, the average person shouldn’t have to worry about finding enough charging stations between Ankara and Istanbul.
Despite being built and put together in Turkey, TOGG vehicles use imported parts including batteries, engines, and some electric systems. Turkey has produced 51% of the materials utilized so far to construct the cars. Mustafa Varank, minister of industry, has stated that he aims to increase this to 65% in the upcoming years.
Currently, TOGG automobiles are geared more at domestic than international consumers. According to zpeynirci, this is partially caused by the car’s component mix, which raises production costs. He claims that TOGG’s cars will be competitive on the global market if it is successful in using 70% components created in Turkey.
