"When Berke Astarcoglu bought a BMW i3 in 2016, he was one of just 44 people in a country of 80 million to buy a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that year. By the time he bought a Tesla in 2023, BEVs were no longer a complete oddity in Turkey, making up 7% of new car sales. Fast-forward two years and electric cars are selling so fast that Turkey has caught up with the EU in its rate of adoption."
"A premium product is a thing that makes you happy but that not everyone can have, said Astarcoglu, a mechatronic engineer from Istanbul and the developer of an app to find charging stations. My Tesla has become an ordinary car over here. BEVs made up 16.7% of new car sales in Turkey in 2025, just behind the EU's 17.4%, registration data published on Tuesday shows."
"Analysts attribute the boom to a disparity in Turkey's special consumption tax, which has left electric cars only slightly more expensive than comparable petrol cars. Sales remained high even after the government raised taxes on electric vehicles in August. Practically speaking, Turkish people don't buy electric vehicles because it's eco-friendly, said Ufuk Alparslan, an analyst at the climate thinktank Ember, saying that running costs were lower for electric cars. The motivation is purely economical."
Electric vehicle adoption in Turkey accelerated from 44 BEV purchases in 2016 to BEVs accounting for 16.7% of new car sales in 2025. Turkey's EV market became the fourth largest in Europe, closely matching the EU's 17.4% adoption rate. Rapid growth followed lower relative prices caused by a special consumption tax disparity and lower running costs, making EVs economically attractive despite a tax increase in August. The surge parallels global uptake in emerging markets and contributes to efforts to decarbonise transport and reduce pollution as Turkey prepares to host the UN climate summit.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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