Tuba Onğun
December 19, 2021•Update: December 19, 2021
ISTANBUL - Turkey's first car battery manufacturing plant is set to be established, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank said Saturday.
"A giant step for our industry which has a capacity of 2 million vehicle production and $30 billion of exports," Varank said in a statement.
SIRO, a joint venture by Turkey's Automobile Initiative Group (TOGG) and Chinese energy giant Farasis, will manufacture 15 gigawatt hours of battery cell and module, he said.
The facility will generate jobs for 2,200 people, noted Varank.
SIRO aims to reduce import dependency in energy and accelerate the development of a clean and efficient energy system.
The colossal investment of 30 billion Turkish Lira ($1.83 billion) will contribute to the technological transformation of Turkey's electric vehicles and mobility ecosystem.
Turkey's new car will reach 80% charge in under 30 minutes with fast-charging. The car will have a 300 kilometers and 500 kilometers range.
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 m/h) will be in 7.6 seconds with 200 horsepower, and under 4.8 seconds with a 400 horsepower engine.
The first vehicle is planned to come off the production line in the last quarter of 2022.
TOGG announced in April it become the first Turkish brand to receive an iF Design Award 2021, one of the most prestigious design awards in the world, with its C-SUV model.
"All features are tailored with a modern and prestigious design, inspired by its Anatolian heritage," iF World Design Guide wrote on its website about the TOGG C-SUV.
