A Togg electric car rolling off the assembly line in Gemlik near Bursa in western Turkey. Photo: Yasin AKGUL / AFPOn the shores of the Sea of Marmara, a grey and turquoise factory built at breakneck speed is churning out electric
The batteries, made in partnership with Chinese manufacturer Farasis Energy, are assembled in a next-door building."Last year, we produced 20,000 vehicles without any loss. Tesla produced only 2,000 in their first year," a production manager told AFP on condition of anonymity.In half a century, the Marmara region around Istanbul has become one of the leading centres of the world's automobile industry.
But after the European Union-Turkey Customs Union agreement came into force in 1995, opening the European market to cars made in Turkey, exports revved up.have a part which is produced in Turkey. For example, the horn of first car in space, the Tesla Roadster, was supplied from one of our members," he told AFP.
That same year Togg was founded as a joint venture between four Turkish companies and the country's chamber of commerce to steer its car industry towards the electric future."The project represents a significant milestone in Turkey's automotive industry and symbolises the country's ambition to become a prominent player in the global electric vehicle market," Saydam said.