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Istanbul-listed Koc launches electric vehicle charging stations unit

Koc, the dominant player in the Turkish automotive industry, has been focusing on EV investments.
Koc, the dominant player in the Turkish automotive industry, has been focusing on EV investments.

Wat Mobilite, a unit of Turkey's Koc Holding (KCHOL), has launched its first electric vehicle (EV) charging station at Koc's HQ, according to a statement by Koc.

Wat Mobilite was launched in February by Koc subsidiaries, including engine producer Wat Motor, Opet (Turkey's second-largest fuel retailer), auto retailer Otokoc and power producer Entek Elektrik.

Koc, the dominant player in the Turkish automotive industry, has been focusing on EV investments.

In March, Koc Holding (KCHOL), Ford Motor Company (New York/F) and SK On signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities to launch an EV battery production plant in Turkish capital Ankara.

SK On is a subsidiary of SK Innovation. SK Innovation is a unit of SK Inc (Seoul/034730), which is an SK Group company.

A 30-45 GWh annual production capacity is targeted for launch in 2025 at the planned Ankara plant.

Ford Otosan (FROTO), a 41:41 JV partnering Koc Holding (KCHOL) and Ford Motor Company (New York/F), will use the batteries for its upcoming all-electric and plug-in hybrid Ford Transit Custom (Ford E-Transit) vehicles project.

Ford Otosan’s Golcuk (Kocaeli) plant in Turkey's Kocaeli Province will become Ford’s commercial EV hub in Europe. Ford Otosan is already Europe’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.

The new one-tonne Ford Transit Custom is to be launched in the first half of 2023. The next-generation Ford Transit Custom range will include an all-electric model in addition to a plug-in hybrid, a mild hybrid and conventional engine variants.

In March 2021, Ford Motor Company said that Ford Otosan would also produce a new electric version of the Volkswagen Transporter at its Golcuk plant as part of the alliance between Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group (Frankfurt/VOW3).

Transporter production will be transferred to Ford Otosan’s Golcuk plant from Volkswagen's plant in Hanover, Germany.

Also in March 2021, Ford Otosan said that it would invest €2bn to produce commercial EVs and batteries at its Golcuk plant.

When the investments at the Golcuk plant come online in 2023, Ford Otosan’s annual commercial vehicle production capacity will increase to 650,000 units from the current 455,000 units, with an additional battery production capacity of 130,000 units.

In March 2022, Ford Otosan acquired Ford Romania. An all-electric version of the Puma (SUV) model will be launched in 2024.

In Turkey, Otokar (OTKAR), the bus and army vehicles unit of Koc Holding (KCHOL), as well as Karsan (KARSN) and Temsa, a unit of Sabanci Holding (SAHOL), are already producing electric buses.

Ankara Municipality’s unit Belka converts diesel buses to 100%-electric busses.

Meanwhile, charging station investments have recently escalated in Turkey.

Energy watchdog EPDK released rules for obtaining a charging stations network licence in April and it delivered first licences in June.

In June, government-run TOGG, which has been developing an assembly plant for an EV as well as a battery montage plant with China-based Farasis, obtained a licence to set up a network of charging stations.

Siro Silk Road, a JV between TOGG and Farasis, is to build a battery plant in Turkey’s Bursa province with an annual production capacity of 20 GW.

TOGG is to launch 600 stations with 1,000 sockets under its Trugo brand.

Esarj Elektrikli Araclar Sarj Sistemleri, owned by Enerjisa (ENJSA), has 269 charging stations with 496 sockets, including 258 quick chargers. It is to invest Turkish lira (TRY) 300mn to launch 495 new quick chargers.

ZES Dijital, launched by Zorlu Enerji (ZOREN), has 1,016 stations with 1,913 sockets across all 81 provinces of Turkey as well as in Northern Cyprus and Montenegro.

Sharz.net (EVS Elektrikli Sarj Sistemleri), launched in 2019, plans to launch 50 new stations that will bring its network to 350 stations.

Aksa Sarj, launched by Aksa Enerji (AKSEN), is also active in the market while Sarjet, launched by Turkey’s military pension fund Oyak, is preparing to enter the market.

Kalyon Electrical Vehicle Enerji, a unit of Kalyon Holding, and CW Enerji have also obtained licences to operate charging stations along with Astor Enerji, Sarjon Yenilenebilir Enerji, Sarjet Enerji, Armatec Enerji, RHG Enerturk Enerji (a unit of Erciyes Anadolu Holding), FCTR Elektrikli Araclar Enerji Teknolojileri and En Yakit.

Kalyon also aims to produce a battery.

On July 6, Smart Gunes Enerjisi Teknolojileri (SMRTG), which has an annual photovoltaic (PVpanels production capacity of 1,200 MW at its plant in Gebze town of Kocaeli province (launched in August 2017 with an investment of $20mn in strategic cooperation with China’s Sumec), said that it is to launch 42 charging stations.

On July 5, Kontrolmatik (KONTR) said that it is to launch 66 sockets.

Miram Enerji, Meta Mobilite Enerji, RG Enerji Insaat, Egesa Elektrik, Dicle Kok Enerji, Yeni Model Yapay Zeka, Avos Grup Insaat, Full Elektrikli Araclar (FullCharger), Jetco Elektrik, Yeldegirmeni Enerji, Zey Enerji, RST Teknoloji, Sun Ulasim and Yeni Basak Enerji have also obtained incentives to launch charging stations.

Presently, there are more than 4,000 charging stations across Turkey. 

At current prices, an EV costs TRY0.67 per kilometre to run in Turkey, while there are nearly 7,000 EVs in the country.