South Korean car giant Hyundai plans to begin electric vehicle production at its factory in Türkiye's northwestern Kocaeli province in the second half of 2026, the company’s top official announced on Sunday.
Hyundai's production of EVs in Türkiye will help the company increase its share in the European market and contribute to its goal of selling only zero-emission vehicles in Europe by 2035, the company said separately in a press release.
"The EV model, which will be produced at the Izmit factory in Türkiye, will contribute to Hyundai’s growing electric product range and support the European market’s increasing demand for sustainable mobility solutions," the company said.
It also said it would continue to produce internal combustion engine models, in addition to the electric model.
The firm, which has been operating in the Turkish market since 1997, recently changed its name from "Hyundai Assan" to "Hyundai Motor Türkiye," in line with its goals of expanding reach in European markets.
Speaking at a meeting where Hyundai shared its 2024 performance and 2025 expectations, Murat Berkel, the general manager at Hyundai Motor Türkiye, emphasized the group's strong global standing while also citing interest in their models across markets.
"We will start producing EV vehicles in the second half of 2026. We have a high-tech production facility; work on electric vehicle production continues at full speed in our factory," Berkel said, regarding planned production in Türkiye.
"We also want to make our mark in Türkiye in electrification. At this point, as I said, the production quality in Türkiye is at the highest level," he added.
"A very nice electric vehicle will be produced here and offered to Turkish consumers and Europe."
Referring to the global electric sales, Berkel said it is "remarkable" they have exceeded 17 million.
"Electric sales were around 2 million units five years ago. It has increased significantly. Five hundred fully electric models are sold in the world. It is predicted that this number will reach 1,000 by 2030," he said as part of his remarks.
Also recalling that Hyundai laid the foundations of the Izmit factory in Türkiye in 1995 and started its first production in 1997, he said that they've been producing and exporting uninterruptedly for 28 years.
"We have reached very important production numbers since that day. Hyundai Motor Türkiye continues on its path with sure steps. We have produced more than 3 million vehicles in 28 years. We produce an i10, i20 and Bayon every 92 seconds," he noted.
Moreover, touching upon the rise in electric car sales in Türkiye, he mentioned that the market increased to around 100,000 units last year and that they sold nearly 5,000 electric vehicles.
He also conveyed expectations for the automotive market in Türkiye to reach 1.1 million units this year, detailing Hyundai's goals.
"Our sales target is 65,000 units. We aim to increase our market share from 5.1% to 5.9%. We aim to sell over 7,000 electric vehicles," he said.
On the side of plans for electric vehicle production, Berkel called it to be "very important news" for the automotive sector.
"We will be the second brand in Türkiye, apart from Togg. In fact, we will be the first among foreign brands. This shows the importance our brand gives to Türkiye, Turkish manufacturers, and employees," he said.
Noting that details about the vehicle will be shared in the coming period, Berkel said the production of their other models will continue.
"This vehicle will be fully electric, but we cannot announce which segment it will be in at the moment," he concluded.
