Türkiye has seen a rapid increase in the number of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs), which has now surpassed 8,800, according to Mustafa Yılmaz, the head of Türkiye’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK). This rise in the charging infrastructure can be attributed to the growing demand and interest in Türkiye’s first fully electric car, Togg, which began deliveries earlier this year.
Yılmaz highlighted that Türkiye currently has approximately one fast charging (DC) point for every 14 vehicles, making it the European leader in terms of DC charging points per vehicle. Moreover, there has been a significant surge in EV sales, with nearly 22,900 EVs sold from January to August this year, marking a 597% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.
Togg, Türkiye’s first domestic automaker, has already delivered 3,400 units of its T10X model, with 1,965 deliveries made in August alone. Yılmaz emphasized that the number of charging stations across the country continues to rise, currently reaching 4,221 charging stations in all 81 provinces. As the number of EVs increases rapidly, Yılmaz stressed the need for charging points to keep pace with this growth.
The EPDK has taken steps to facilitate the lives of EV owners by developing a mobile application called “Şarj@TR.” This app provides real-time information about the locations of charging stations, types and power of charging units, payment methods, availability status, and charging service prices. Yılmaz recommended EV owners to utilize this useful tool.
The EPDK has also implemented a regulation to promote green charging stations, which are certified to source all their electricity from renewable energy sources. Charge point operators can designate their charging points as green charging stations if they meet the renewable energy requirement. Yılmaz emphasized the importance of these green charging stations and encouraged the industry to continue investing in this area.
Sources:
– Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD) data
– Anadolu Agency (AA)
– EPDK