Main draw for EVs in Türkiye is concerns over fuel costs

ISTANBUL

The primary draw for electric vehicles (EVs) in Türkiye continues to center on a consumer perception that fuel costs will be significantly lower, outweighing the concern for climate change, Deloitte’s 2024 Global Automotive Consumer Study has shown.

Some 69 percent of those surveyed that lower fuel cost for the reason for choosing an EV for the next vehicle, while 52 percent cited concern for the environment.

Last year, 72,179 EVs were sold in Türkiye, marking an 833 percent increase compared to 2022. EVs accounted for 7.5 percent of all vehicles sold last year.

The shares of gasoline and diesel cars in the market were 66.7 percent and 13.8 percent, respectively.

Driving experience and less maintenance ranked third and fourth in Deloitte’s survey. Another 27 percent said government incentives, subsidies and stimulus program is the reason for choosing an EV.

One-third of the surveyed consumers cite cost as the biggest hurdle to BEV penetration, underlining the need to address elevated transaction prices, the report said, adding that top concerns are also directly related to charging - a key issue for mobility providers to solve going forward.

Half of consumers (51 percent) remain interested in internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. This was 52 percent in 2023.

At the same time, consumer interest in plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) continues to grow - rising from 4 percent in the 2023 survey to 13 percent - while interest in all-battery electrics remains steady – inching up from 9 percent to 10 percent.

However, a variety of challenges continue to stand in the way of EVs, including range anxiety, charging time and availability of charging infrastructure, the report said.

Most EV intenders plan to charge their vehicle away from home, signaling the need for a robust public charging network driven by a strategic plan focused on optimizing a return on the invested capital, according to the report.

Only 7 percent said they expect to charge their vehicles most often at home against 64 percent at on-street/public charging stations and 26 percent at work.

The most important aspect of a public EV charging experience is ease of use and a strong majority of consumers surveyed prefer to pay for charging via a traditional credit/debit card, signaling the need to simplify the experience using familiar payment methods.

Two-thirds of non-BEV intenders surveyed would expect a fully charged BEV to have a driving range of at least 400 km to consider one as a viable option for their next vehicle, showed the survey.