The factory where Türkiye’s first electric vehicle, Togg, is being developed will be inaugurated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 29 and the first mass-produced domestic cars will leave the production line during the ceremony, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank said Thursday.
Varank said in the initial vehicles being produced, 51% of the parts are being sourced from within the country and this rate is projected to reach at least 65% by 2025, Varank told broadcaster A Haber.
The minister said that the electric motors in the first vehicles to come off the band will be acquired from abroad since the "automotive industry is a field that never accepts mistakes."
"This is not an easy localization move as it takes years to complete the processes. However, the work on the localization of the engine is currently ongoing," he said.
Saying that the question that citizens have been most curious about since the government first announced the Togg project is "what will be the price of this car," Varank said: "This is a private sector investment. In addition to producing an automobile, there is a production of a technological device, the company is trying to create a brand."
He noted that the price of the C-segment SUV vehicle will be compatible with the vehicles in the same segment and currently on the market.
Pointing out that Togg will have much more advanced technologies than other vehicles in its segment, Varank said: "We have recently reduced the SCT rates in electric cars by up to 10%. Therefore, as the government, we have to implement tax policies in order for our citizens to buy electric, environmentally friendly new generation vehicles at more affordable costs. We have taken the necessary steps."
Stating that Türkiye is one of the strongest countries in automobile production, Varank said: "We have the capacity to produce 2 million vehicles. Türkiye is the number one commercial vehicle manufacturer in Europe. We actually have a strong foundation in the automotive industry. The Togg project aims to help the changing and transforming world industry. It will be an alternative."
The consortium developing the indigenous car, Türkiye’s Automobile Joint Venture Group, known as Togg, made its international debut in January.
Togg aims to produce 1 million vehicles in five different segments by 2030 and will launch its first mass-produced vehicle, an SUV, by the end of 2022.
Togg was launched on June 25, 2018. Erdoğan, in December 2019, unveiled prototypes for the SUV and a sedan, both fully electric and C-segment models.
Togg said it would produce five different models – an SUV, sedan, C-hatchback, B-SUV and B-MPV – through 2030. Mass production of the SUV will begin by the end of this year, with the sedan to follow.