Turkish auto sales up 5.3% in November, share of hybrids, EVs rise
Employees working on a car assembly line at a factory of Togg at the Gemlik Togg Technology Campus, Bursa, northwestern Türkiye, May 17, 2024. (AFP Photo)


Sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in Türkiye rose 5.3% year-on-year in November to over 121,000 units, the data from the top industry association revealed Tuesday.

Combined sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles reached 121,094 units last month, the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD) said, bringing the total year-to-date sales to over the 1 million mark.

Passenger car sales were up 3.5% to 94,595 vehicles last month and light commercial vehicle sales increased 12.2% to 26,499 units, the association data showed.

In the January-November period, sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles decreased 0.5% year-on-year to 1,068,260 units, the ODMD also said.

While automobile sales increased by 0.5% in the January-November period to 845,530 units, the light commercial vehicle market shrank by 4.4% to 222,730 units, respectively.

The recent data suggests that the car sales remained robust throughout the year despite tighter financial conditions.

The automobile and light commercial vehicle market expanded by 43.7% compared to the 10-year average sales in November, the ODMD said in its report.

When evaluated according to body types, the most preferred body type for cumulative sales between January and November were SUVs with 56.6% of the total market share or 478,286 units.

When looking at the 12-month cumulative sales, which give an idea about the momentum of the market, it was seen that there was no significant change compared to the previous month. In November, the passenger car market reached approximately 970,000 units, and the light commercial vehicle market was approximately 255,000 units.

Total sales also remained flat for the fifth month with 1.22 million units on a 12-month cumulative basis, indicating that if the automobile market does not lose momentum, it will close the year at 1.2 million units.

Last year, a record 1.23 million vehicles were sold in the country.

Moreover, the ODMD data also shed light on a strong momentum in sales of both hybrid and electric vehicles in the country, as they together took 35.8% of the market share in November. Sole electric and hybrids accounted for 35.2% of the sales, respectively.

The sales of pure electric vehicles rose 45.6% month-on-month to 12,970 units, while hybrid sales rose 26.9% to 20,321 units.

The share of hybrids alone stood at 21.5% compared to 12.2% in November last year.

Yearly, the sales of pure EVs surged by 22.5% and 20.8% for electrics in general (including extended range), while sales of hybrids jumped by 82.2%, according to the ODMD.