The Turkish government does not have a dedicated strategy for electric vehicles, but has strongly supported local manufacturer Togg. In 2024, Togg surpassed Tesla as the country’s best-selling electric vehicle brand.
From a rare luxury to a mainstream car, electric vehicles are taking over the Turkish market, fueled by economic advantages and tax policies. Turkey has seen a surge in electric car sales, matching the pace of adoption in the European Union and ranking as the fourth-largest electric vehicle market in Europe, after Germany, the United Kingdom and France. In 2016, only 44 people in Turkey bought a fully electric vehicle. But by 2025, electric cars will account for 16.7% of new car sales in the country, very close to the EU average of 17.4%, according to official data released this week. “Initially, Tesla was a premium product. Today it has become a mainstream car in Turkey,” says Berke Astarcıoğlu, an Istanbul-based engineer and developer of an app for finding charging stations.
Although the adoption rate remains lower compared to the Nordic countries or the Netherlands, where electric cars account for between 35% and 96% of new sales, Turkey has surpassed almost all Southern and Eastern European countries in terms of growth speed.
The development is part of a global trend where emerging markets from Latin America to Asia are rapidly abandoning fossil-fuel cars. Analysts say the main reason for the boom in Turkey is related to the differences in the special consumption tax, which makes electric cars only slightly more expensive than gasoline ones. Sales have remained strong even after the government raised taxes on electric vehicles in August. “Turks do not buy electric cars for environmental reasons, but for economic reasons,” says Ufuk Alparslan of the climate think tank Ember. “The running costs are significantly lower.” The Turkish government does not have a dedicated strategy for electric vehicles, but has strongly supported local manufacturer Togg. In 2024, Togg surpassed Tesla as the best-selling electric vehicle brand in the country.
The company plans to increase production from 40 cars in 2025 to 60 in 2026, taking advantage of fiscal support and interest-free loans from state-owned banks.
Foreign manufacturers have also adapted their strategies for the Turkish market. Tesla has reduced engine power to take advantage of more favorable tax brackets, while Chinese company BYD has announced the construction of a $1 billion factory in Turkey. However, experts warn that this trend may not be sustainable. Tax incentives are considered fragile and variable, while the total fiscal burden on electric cars remains high, up to 86% in some categories. “This is not the result of a long-term strategy,” says economist Baki Kaya. “Personally, I am not very optimistic that it will continue.” According to the analysis, without stable fiscal policies and investments in renewable energy, inflation and exchange rate fluctuations could limit citizens’ access to electric vehicles.