From when the Turkish electric car will be sold

Togg electric car

Visually, the model is reminiscent of the Ford Edge or the Jeep Grand Cherokee model.

(Photo: TOGG)

Istanbul The Turkish electric car is one of the most ambitious projects in the automotive industry in recent years. In the shadow of severe economic turbulence in Turkey, the former Bosch manager Gürcan Karakas developed a model within two years that is intended to catapult the Turkish manufacturer Togg into the league of innovative automobile manufacturers.

For a long time it was puzzling as to when the car would actually be on the market. Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank has now revealed the secret: In Turkey, the Togg will hit the streets in March next year.

Varank announced that the plant under construction in Gemlik is scheduled to open on October 29. Once the certification process is complete, the first vehicles should roll off the assembly line, after which the sale of Togg vehicles could begin in March 2023.

Electric for the price of a combustion engine

The first model from the Turkish manufacturer should not only compete with other electric city SUVs in its class. According to the minister, the electric car should be offered at the same price as comparable combustion models.

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The minister’s message: You want to compete with the big manufacturers right from the start.

However, this information does not allow any concrete conclusions to be drawn about the price. A VW Tiguan of about the same size is currently available from 31,545 euros, with premium vehicles such as the BMW X3 starting at 37,000 euros. Where exactly the Togg will position itself in terms of price is not clear.

>> Also read: Togg unveils first electric sedan concept

Behind the new brand are six Turkish corporations that had joined forces in 2019. More than three billion euros were made available for development. The lenders were not deterred by a record inflation rate of 80 percent – the Turkish export industry in particular is currently making a lot of money.

They have appointed Gürcan Karakas as boss. The car manager, who has had a career at Bosch for 27 years, has no illusions. “Nobody expects an electric car from Turkey,” he told the Handelsblatt at the end of 2020. But even then he was determined to exceed expectations. “We want to be globally competitive right from the start.”

Export: Germany could become an interesting market for Togg

The first test cars have already rolled off the assembly line, Karakas confirmed to the Handelsblatt in July. During the so-called manufacturing try-out, the operating processes of the newly built factory near Istanbul are being tested.

“By the beginning of November we will have perfected the processes and then freeze them in this form,” Karakas explained. “Then we will have our production plant ready for series production.”

Germany is likely to be an important export market. The Turkish-born community is not the only one responsible for this. Overall, the market is large, and sales of electric cars have recently increased significantly. But the purchase premium, which is currently still being paid for new electric cars, is to be significantly reduced. A new manufacturer entering the market with a competitive price could have good chances.

More: Turkey produces the first batteries for electric cars

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