Turkey to make first domestic car, an electric SUV

Turkey has unveiled plans to build its first ‘domestic’ car, an electric SUV.

The vehicle, designed by Pininfarina according to Turkish media, will be manufactured in Bursa, northwest Turkey by Turkey’s Automobile Joint Venture Group, a consortium of five companies, callled TOGG.

The factory is due to open in 2021 and the first vehicles are scheduled to roll off the production line a year later. The plant will be capable of manufacturing 175,000 vehicles per year, and Euronews reports that Turkey hopes to produce five different models within 15 years.

An official statement from the office of President Erdogan of Turkey (pictured above with the car) said the first model will have: “The largest-interior volume, highest-performance and lowest-cost in its segment. Once the serial production begins, Turkey will have the one and only non-conventional and originally electric SUV model in Europe.”

Ford, FCA, Hyundai, Renault and Toyota already assemble vehicles in Turkey, but TOGG will be the only ‘national’ car maker.