On Saturday, October 29, the production of the first Turkish electric vehicle by TOGG (Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girishim Grubu) “Turkish Automobile Initiative Group” began in Gemlik, Bursa. It is no coincidence that the start of production coincides with the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, as reported by Deutsche Welle in its publication. TOGG is a consortium of Turkish companies founded in 2018. Their goal is to make Turkey independent of foreign car manufacturers.

“This is an important step that will make a decisive contribution to the rise of the Turkish automotive industry,” says journalist and automotive expert Emre Espeinirci. TOGG aims to produce between 17,000 and 18,000 electric vehicles by 2023. The plant in Gemlik is capable of producing up to 175,000 vehicles, which the Turkish company has set as a goal for the next five years.

The Ankara government would like all Turks to be proud of this ambitious project. Unfortunately, however, the ambitious TOGG project is not seen by many as the “car of Turkey” as promoted by the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is running for a new term at the presidential palace this summer – many believe that this simply gives prestige to the president. “The fact that cars are polarizing society is a big problem,” says Mr. Espeinirchi. He adds that no other investment in the automotive industry has been discussed as publicly as this one. By June 18, 2023, the Turks will decide in elections whether they want to extend the mandate of President Erdogan or choose to follow a new path.

Despite the start of production, it will still be some time before the first car rolls off the assembly line. According to the company’s plans, the first cars will go on sale in March 2023, that is, shortly before the elections. The new TOGG is characterized by the rulers as the “people’s car”.

“When President Erdogan presented the ambitious plans, the Turks expected that a car would be built that every Turk could buy,” emphasizes Emre Espeinirci.

The high selling price of the first model seems to have shattered that dream, according to Deutsche Welle. The first electric car will be an SUV costing around 900,000 Turkish lira, which is about 49,000 euros, which is simply beyond the reach of most Turks.