Turkish JV presents plans for domestic EV production

In a ceremony attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG) officially revealed two electric car prototypes. The electric compact sedan and the electric SUV are to be introduced to the market in 2022.

++ Please find updates below. ++

The renowned Italian design studio Pininfarina designed the electric vehicles that Turkey is looking forward to producing domestically. Two configurations with 200 HP or 400 HP will be available with axle-mounted electric motors providing the drive. Whether this applies to both vehicles or just the SUV was not clarified; however, it is not unthinkable that they share a platform.

Acceleration with the larger motor setup from 0 to 100 km/h is possible in 4.8 seconds with a range above 500 km. Charging the battery will take less than 30 minutes to an 80% charge. The smaller motor features a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle, taking 7.2 seconds to reach 100 km/h with a 300 km range.

“Today, we are witnessing a historic day of realizing Turkey’s 60-year dream together,” said president Erdoğan during the unveiling ceremony. He added that Turkey “is not only a market for new technologies but has also become a country that develops, produces and exports them all over the world.”

Interestingly, this marks the second time Turkey has presented an electric prototype, with the first taking place back in 1961. The Devrim unfortunately never made it past the prototype stage, however. These models will be significantly more modern than their predecessor, featuring Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities, with designs to improve to Level 3 with over-the-air upgrades. Furthermore, the TOGG group will introduce a holographic assistant, which will provide futuristic user experience, according to the manufacturer. The aim is to add 3D imaging and augmented reality technologies to display information for the driver. Ostensibly this would mean the driver would never have to take their eyes off the road to keep an eye on speed or their battery charge.

Production will take place at a new factory in the Gemlik district of the northwestern Bursa province starting in 2022. There TOGG aims to produce up to 175,000 vehicles across five model types by 2030.

Update 20 July 2020: Construction of the first car plant of a domestic manufacturer is now starting in Turkey. It is to be completed within 18 months and will have capacities for up to 175,000 vehicles per year as planned above.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was at the groundbreaking ceremony and said the construction of the vast production complex “will radically change the perception of a factory in people’s minds,” the Daily Sabah reports.

The facility will include centres for research and development and a customer experience park. 4,323 staff, including 300 qualified personnel, will be employed here.

Turkey’s car project under the TOGG umbrella will see a fixed investment of over TL 22 billion ($3.21 billion). By 2030, TOGG hopes to produce one million vehicles in five different models described previously.

Update 11 August 2020: Germany is to become the first export market for the TOGG electric SUV from Turkish production, which was presented in January. In Germany, the vehicles are to be sold from 2022, parallel to the planned market launch in Turkey. Later, the company also plans to export to France and Italy. “Our team is ready for global competition,” TOGG CEO Gürcan Karakas said at an online press conference.

By the time sales start in 2022, subsidies at the current level will have expired, at least in Germany: In its current version, the “innovation premium” is limited until 31.12.2021. The Turkish company has not yet announced how TOGG will price its electric SUV. According to Karakas, the price will be “competitive”.

Meanwhile, further details about the supply chain have also been revealed. According to Karakas, the battery will be manufactured in Turkey. “We have agreed to bring a global company with expertise in battery production to Turkey,” the CEO said. However, Karakas did not name the exact scope of battery production, i.e. whether it is cell production or just the assembly of battery modules and packs.

Overall, Karakas is very self-confident. “We are not searching for suppliers; world-famous producers and suppliers apply to work with us,” said the CEO at the press conference. The company has completed “most of the supplier selection process” – 78 per cent come from Turkey, 22 per cent from Europe and Asia.

Karakas is apparently already planning beyond the production of his own vehicles and is considering a kind of contract manufacturing. “We can undertake the production of several products, including batteries, for other companies,” says Karakas. They are able to manufacture and procure parts and products of the globally known brands.

Additional reporting by Nora Manthey & Chris Randall.

togg.com, carscoops.com, insideevs.com, dailysabah.com (Update 20 July), hurriyetdailynews.com (update 11 August)

16 Comments

about „Turkish JV presents plans for domestic EV production“
ElSparquito
02.01.2020 um 15:59
Pininfarina must have also designed the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. They look almost identical sans the revised front end. I like the concept of cameras replacing the side mirrors, but the execution is extremely poor. It looks like the designers glued tablets on to the A pillars. If you want to see it done right, then reference Audi's e-Tron design.
Bunyamin Cebecik
21.07.2020 um 13:08
Someone asked same question to TOGG ceo. He replied that; this is just prototiyp. Of course side mirror screens in real model will not look like this. We will mount it like maybe Audi how thay did or we will find anotherway. Our team is working on it.
Burak Yıldız
20.07.2020 um 19:58
That is correct criticism. But this design of position of screens are going to change.
David
20.07.2020 um 18:44
https://www.motor1.com/news/390097/togg-suv-sedan-concept-pininfarina/TOGG did work with Pininfarina on this SUV design,
faruktoprak
20.07.2020 um 17:27
If TOGG is not suitable for you, you can use audi e-Tron. And all SUV vehicles are similar. I hope my answer was enough. :)
Leva
20.07.2020 um 21:25
Dostum sakin ol..Adam yanlış bir şey söylememiş.Gürcan Karakaş bir ropörtajda o aynaların A sütununa sabitleneceğini söylemişti.
Zee
13.06.2020 um 21:51
Then you go and buy your own favorite car don't tell us, well anyways I am buying this car soon :)
Çağlar KOYUNCU
20.07.2020 um 16:53
Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Tasova
20.07.2020 um 17:57
I like itMuch bettter then that very poor dashboard of Tesla. Paying 90.000€ and getting a 15inc screen in the middle. For that money I expect F35 cockpit and not the feeling as if Im playing game.Existing E cars the Jaguar e-pace is good.
Murat Gürel
20.07.2020 um 17:58
Simply beautiful, classy and premium. Turkey have gone so further with their defence industry producing UCAVs, helicopters, rockets, tanks etc using sophisticated technology. Bravo.
Peter
20.07.2020 um 21:06
Good car
Ercan
20.07.2020 um 22:04
How comes fixed investment of over $3.21 billion for single plant? It seems too high considering PSA paid $2.3 billion for Opel acquisition..
Irfan T.
26.07.2020 um 19:13
They acquired with all the debts of Opel. Considering all Design&Dev, construction, assembly lines, supplier payments etc, it is fair $3.21 billion.
Hani Ayesh
21.07.2020 um 01:38
I am proud of this great step from great turkey, God bless turkey and it is president. MY pleasure to be your future agent in Jordan
Emrah ÇOLAK
22.07.2020 um 16:44
Hani Ayesh Teşekkürler
Samih Kababji
21.07.2020 um 15:12
I want to be your future agent in Palestine Great achievement with high technology Proud to be first dealer in Palestine

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