Hyundai will begin producing electric vehicles (EVs) in Turkey
Hyundai Motor Turkey’s General Manager, Murat Berkel, announced that production of electric vehicles would start at the İzmit factory in the second half of 2026. He emphasized that this investment was a significant step for the company.
Berkel also stated that Hyundai aimed to be among the top three global electric vehicle manufacturers by 2030, and İzmit would be one of the factories producing electric vehicles. Although the specific model to be produced is not yet revealed, it was announced that a different electric model, not currently produced in Turkey, would be manufactured.
Berkel did not provide details about the model’s segment but mentioned that Turkey’s EV production will be the second after Togg, with production expected to begin before BYD. The production will be aimed at both the Turkish and European markets. Hyundai is also upgrading production lines at its İzmit factory for electric vehicle manufacturing, highlighting the factory’s advanced technology. Berkel pointed out that the increase in production capacity would positively impact Hyundai’s role in Europe and the Turkish manufacturing sector. To date, Hyundai has produced over 3 million vehicles in Turkey over 28 years.
Hyundai is in ongoing discussions with the government regarding investment and incentives, but no final decisions have been made yet. Furthermore, the production of Hyundai Turkey’s i20 and Bayon models will continue, while the i10 model will be phased out. So far, Hyundai has produced 80,000 i10s, with most of them being exported.
In 2025, Hyundai expects the Turkish automotive and light commercial vehicle market to reach 1.1 million units in sales, and the company aims to sell 65,000 units this year. Of these, 7,000 units are expected to be electric vehicles. Having introduced its first electric model in Turkey in 2022, Hyundai plans to offer five different electric models in the Turkish market by 2025, including the Inster, Inster Cross, a facelifted Ioniq 6, and the Ioniq 9.
