Turkish electric vehicle market Set to Grow Gradually

In 2012, about 120,000 EVs were sold globally and Frost& Sullivan expects 70% Year-on-Year (YoY) growth for this year. 2012 was also the year of EV in Turkey when Renault launched Fluence Z.E. followed by Opel Ampera for domestic sale. 12 OEMs are expected to follow suit and launch their EV models in Turkey in the next 5 years. The prospects look promising. However, one needs to ponder on the below listed questions before arriving at any conclusion. What is the potential of the Turkish market to sustain EV vehicles? Will the high cost of fuel and low price of electricity in Turkey influence the sale of EV? Will the current poor public-charging infrastructure be developed to support the growth in the market? What kind of incentives are there from Government?  Can the current electricity grid and the installed capacity support further growth in the EV market?

Number Game - Models and Launches

Although the market is still at a nascent stage, Frost & Sullivan predicts approximately 140,000 EV to be on road, while the annual sale is expected to reach around 45,000 by 2020. Currently Renault is the only EV producing OEM in Turkey. The models currently being sold in the local market are Renault Fluence Z.E., Opel Ampera and Mitsubishi i-Miev. Apart from the traditional OEMs, a local Turkish company by the name BD Oto is involved in converting conventional light commercial vehicles (LCVs) into Electric LCVs. The company mainly targets local and global fleet customers such as cargo and FMCG companies. The later half of 2013 and the entire 2014 will witness the launch of more EV models such as Renault Twizy and ZOE, BMW i3, Peugeot iOn and Citroen C-Zero. With new launches coming up, Frost & Sullivan expects approximately 14 EV models (excluding converted models by BD Oto) to be on sale within 2020. Most of the OEMs are expected to be position their vehicles within the price range of 30,000 to 40,000 Euros, but it can vary depending on different business model such as the model of leasing the batteries.

Electric Vehicle Market, Model Line up, Turkey, 2012-Post 2014

Power it up - Charging Infrastructure

Currently there are only 160 charging stations installed by municipalities and other operators at public places. About 60% of them are concentrated in Istanbul alone. There are about 4 charging-station operators in Turkey. They are BD Oto, Esarj, Fullcharger and Ye?il Gü? Enerji. In 2011, there were only 10 charging stations, operational in Istanbul, Ankara and Bursa cities. In order to promote EV  awareness, Istanbul Enerji in assossiation with different suppliers installed charging stations in the parking lot of Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT) in the year 2011. However, this activity of Istanbul Enerji slowed down in 2012. Currently all the three modes of charge points are in operation but only CHAdeMO, Type 2 and Type 3 connector types are in use. With the launch of models such as BMW i3, Combo-type-based charging stations are expected to enter the market. Frost & Sullivan expects approximately 120,000 public charging stations to be installed in Turkey by 2020.

Charging Stations Outlook, Turkey, 2012

Give me more - Government Support and Incentives

With the market still in the nascent stage, more governmental supporAir Zoom Pegasus 35