As transitioning to electric vehicles gains pace around the world and Turkey plans to put its domestic electric car on the market soon, investments regarding the necessary infrastructure, namely charging stations, are also on the rise.
Turan Şakacı, senior manager at the Istanbul-based engineering firm Üçay Group, told Anadolu Agency (AA) Thursday that the company aims to increase the number of rapid electric charging stations with an investment of $1 million (TL 13.56 million) initially this year.
“We have the technical infrastructure, service support, product and opportunity that will enable the establishment of stations all over Turkey, starting with our big cities,” he said.
Şakacı stated that they have completed the necessary preparations for the expansion of electric charging stations throughout the country, following the agreement they signed with Eaton, a global manufacturer of electricity and industrial power management systems, in October.
Pointing out that with this agreement Üçay Group has become the sole authority in the sale and service of charging stations for electric vehicles, Şakacı said that with the unveiling of the country’s first fully electric and domestic vehicle, Togg, the infrastructure of fast charging stations came to the fore.
He noted that they have 56 branches and hundreds of dealers in 81 provinces of Turkey, adding that Turkey does not need foreign resources for its electric charging station investments.
“We see that foreign investors see the electric vehicle potential in Turkey and are preparing to invest in it. However, Turkey uses its own resources to invest in the country's electric charging stations,” he said.
Electric vehicle giant Tesla last month included Turkish city names on its website for Tesla Supercharger stations with the phrase "coming soon.”
The cities currently include Istanbul, the capital Ankara, southern Antalya, the western cities of Aydın, Balıkesir and Izmir, the northwestern cities of Bursa, Edirne and Sakarya, and central Konya. Charging stations will be installed at points that everyone can easily access, such as main roads or shopping malls.
Turkey’s Automobile Joint Venture Group, known as Togg, is the consortium developing the country’s indigenous car and will launch its first mass-produced vehicle, an all-electric SUV, by the end of 2022.
Togg was most recently named among one of the top 20 brands that participated at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) by the U.S.-based Exhibitor magazine.
