Turkish EV (Charging) Market 2023: Current State and Future Opportunities
As the world is rapidly moving towards sustainable and eco-friendly transportation, the EV market is gaining significant attention worldwide. Turkey, as a forward-looking country, is also striving towards a cleaner future and making efforts to promote EVs.
In this article, I provide an overview of the current state of the Turkish EV charging market, including its infrastructure, policies, and regulations. I will also overview the perspectives for growth in this market and explore the potential challenges that need to be resolved for its smooth scale-up.
I hope that this article will provide you with valuable insights into the Turkish EV charging market and its future prospects.
How many EVs are there on Turkey’s roads?
Turkey can boast of being one of the largest markets in Europe in terms of total vehicles sold and manufactured.
However, when it comes to BEV sales, Turkey is still one of the smallest markets in the region.
Despite this fact, EV sales in Turkey have been increasing rapidly over the past years. As per ODD data, there were 4,939 EVs sold in Turkey in the first ten months of 2022, resulting in a rise in the share of electric cars in total sales from 0.4 percent to 1.1 percent.
Only in the first quarter of 2022, 1,073 EVs were sold in the country, marking a 244% increase from the same period in the previous year. In contrast, hybrid car sales fell by 17% to 11,227 units, making up less than 10% of all automotive sales.
What about the most popular EV models in Turkey?
Although the official price list of the Porsche Taycan family in Turkey is unavailable, it remains one of the most popular EV model in the country. The list of best-selling EVs in Turkey also includes the Citroen Ami, featuring a 6 kW engine and a range of 75 km, as well as the Audi e-Tron Advanced 55 Quattro.
The year 2023 is expected to see an increase in the number of EV models sold in Turkey, with a predicted count of 40, including the Togg C SUV (Note: Togg is a Turkish automotive manufacturer of electric luxury cars headquartered in Gebze, Kocaeli province, Turkey) that is scheduled to be launched in March 2023.
Number of EV Charging stations in Turkey
By the year 2019, Turkey had 1169 units of 100% EVs and 582 units of charging stations. Over time, this number has notably grown. In the last quarter of 2022, Turkey had 2,223 AC and 200 DC charging stations. However, these numbers do not include non-commercial charging stations, e.g. home or workplace ones.
The implementation of EV charging stations throughout Turkey is due to speed up when a new regulation is adopted. It is about enabling EV drivers to access public charging stations, with the price of charging being regulated on a kilowatt-hour basis, the head of Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EBDK) told Anadolu Agency. Yet, there are little to no regulations/encouragements from the government to boost EV adoption in Turkey.
Government incentives for EV owners
Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EBDK) plans to accelerate the deployment of electric car charging stations throughout Turkey by adopting a new regulation that allows electric car drivers to access public charging stations and sets the price based on a kilowatt-hour basis.
According to the head of EBDK, this regulation requires charging stations to connect to a charging network and obliges companies to allocate at least 5% of charging units as fast chargers with a minimum capacity of DC 50 kilowatts. Also, at least 50% of the charging stations on highways must have a minimum capacity of DC 50 kilowatts. Furthermore, a loyalty scheme will be introduced that enables users to benefit from 20% price discounts.
To support the deployment of charging stations, the Industry and Technology Ministry has allocated 20 million Turkish Liras ($1.3 million) in 2022 to grant support for 75% of the charging station investments. The investments are expected to soar before new electric car models hit Turkish roads in 2023.
For now, EV owners have an exemption from the special consumption tax (ÖTV). The tax can amount to as much as 60% of the vehicle’s sale price, so it’s a significant encouragement. EV owners in Turkey are also exempt from the value-added tax, which is currently set at 18%. One more benefit: EV owners in Turkey can park for free in public parking spaces designated for EVs.
However, Turkey recently imposed a 40% additional tariff on electric motor vehicle imports from China. This tariff applies only to motor vehicles that have electric motors and are imported from China, indicating Turkey’s efforts to protect its domestic electric vehicle industry. This decision was made when the global electric vehicle market was growing, and China had become a significant player in electric car manufacturing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the EV charging market in Turkey is still growing and evolving as more drivers make the switch to electric vehicles. However, there is still a significant need for improvement in terms of charging infrastructure and government incentives.
Turkey requires a lot of work to be done in this area. The Turkish government needs to invest more in the EV charging infrastructure to stimulate the growth of the market and foster a green and sustainable transportation system.
Furthermore, there is a need for research and development to enhance EV charging technology and make it more convenient and accessible for EV drivers.
As the EV market advances, it is likely that the EV charging market will evolve as well, with new innovations and developments aimed at enhancing the overall EV driving experience.
