Turkish local consortium working on three electric car models

A Turkish consortium, which was launched to produce locally-made cars, has said that it is working on three electric vehicle models and has a 15-year investment plan.

The consortium also noted that mass production is slated to start by the end of 2021 with the launch of the prototype scheduled for 2019.

The investment will be realized in three phases, the consortium said in a statement on Feb. 16.

In the medium-term, the planned electric cars will be manufactured on a single platform and they will be designed to meet Turkish people’s needs and expectations, according to the statement.

In the second phase, the electrical cars will be improved in a way to become a global brand for global markets, the consortium said.

The consortium is currently working on identifying potential key managers who will lead the company to be launched in the coming months.

The statement added that the consortium has not yet received any pre-orders and no decision has been taken regarding the production site.

The consortium has a project office in Istanbul and is working with a team of international experts, the statement added.

In November 2017, Anadolu Group, BMC, Kıraça Holding, Turkcell and Zorlu Holding launched a joint venture to produce Turkey’s first domestically-made car.

The initiative came after repeated calls from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Anadolu, BMC and Kıraça are already directly involved in car manufacturing, while Turkcell is the country’s largest mobile operator and will engage in the project for technological support. Zorlu is a multi-sector conglomerate, which manufactures computers and white goods along with many other businesses.

Also in November last year, Erdoğan met with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk in Ankara to discuss a wide range of issues, including electric cars and possible cooperation between Tesla, SpaceX and Turkish firms.