Automotive Exports March 2022

Investments in
Turkey’s rapid
charging stations
for EVs gain pace
As transitioning to electric vehicles gains
pace around the world and Turkey plans to
put its domestic electric car on the market
soon, investments regarding the necessary
infrastructure, namely charging stations,
are also on the rise.
Turan Şakacı, senior manager at the
Istanbul-based engineering firm Üçay
Group, told Anadolu Agency that the
company aims to increase the number of
rapid electric charging stations with an
investment of $1 million (TL 13.56 million)
initially this year.
“We have the technical infrastructure,
service support, product and opportunity
that will enable the establishment of
stations all over Turkey, starting with our
big cities,” he said.
Şakacı stated that they have completed the
necessary preparations for the expansion
of electric charging stations throughout
the country, following the agreement they
signed with Eaton, a global manufacturer
of electricity and industrial power
management systems, in October.
Pointing out that with this agreement Üçay
Group has become the sole authority in
the sale and service of charging stations
for electric vehicles, Şakacı said that with
the unveiling of the country’s first fully
electric and domestic vehicle, Togg, the
infrastructure of fast charging stations
came to the fore. He noted that they have
56 branches and hundreds of dealers in
81 provinces of Turkey, adding that Turkey
does not need foreign resources for its
electric charging station investments.
“We see that foreign investors see the
electric vehicle potential in Turkey and are
preparing to invest in it. However, Turkey
uses its own resources to invest in the
country’s electric charging stations,” he
said. Electric vehicle giant Tesla included
Turkish city names on its website for Tesla
Supercharger stations with the phrase
“coming soon.”
The cities currently include Istanbul, the
capital Ankara, southern Antalya, the
western cities of Aydın, Balıkesir and Izmir,
the northwestern cities of Bursa, Edirne
and Sakarya, and central Konya. Charging
stations will be installed at points that
everyone can easily access, such as main
roads or shopping malls.
Turkey’s Automobile Joint Venture
Group, known as Togg, is the consortium
developing the country’s indigenous car
and will launch its first mass-produced
vehicle, an all-electric SUV, by the end
of 2022. Togg was most recently named
among one of the top 20 brands that
participated at the 2022 Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) by the U.S.-based
Exhibitor magazine.
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