Turkish Startup Gets Smart with Electric Vehicle

The popularity of electric vehicles (EV) is rising. Sales have increased, charging stations are springing up worldwide and government incentives have made electric vehicles more affordable. The variety of electric cars to choose from has also grown. Turkey’s Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG) is developing the country’s first electric car models and is behind local efforts for innovative smart energy solutions.

Togg’s 1.2 million square meter production, engineering, and design facilities are located in Gemlik in northwestern Bursa province. CEO, Gurcan Karakas, a former executive from tech-giant Bosch was appointed CEO in 2018 when TOGG was launched. He describes the culture at TOGG as a technology company rather than a traditional automobile company. Karakas said that TOGG’s technologies are brought together under the "Smart Life" label encompassing much more than a fully connected car. They did extensive quantitative research with over 2000 people participating.

"We’re building TOGG with a completely user-centric approach. If a product doesn’t create user value, it will not survive," Karakas noted. "We are creating mobility solutions through a business model that's user-centric and data-driven. We’re developing solutions that will enable a more comfortable mobility experience through the ecosystem, and that will grow around our smart device."

TOGG will produce one million EVs in five different models through 2030. Mass production of their first offering, a compact all-electric SUV will begin by the end of this year, with a sedan model to follow. There will be two battery pack options based on the European NEDC cycle, with the larger battery offering a 500 km of battery range. It will be the first electric SUV produced in continental Europe by a nontraditional manufacturer. TOGG launched its smart technology at the CES Show, one of the most important technology platforms in the world, in Las Vegas in early January 2022.  Their world premiere was well-received by attendees who came from 119 countries.

With rising fuel costs and buyers becoming more conscious of the environmental cost of non EV models, vehicles powered by renewable sources are the way of the future. Turkey is at the helm of this innovative technology, and this Turkish startup will provide gorgeous EV designs and technological expertise for years to come.