21.12.2025 14:48
Murat Berkel, General Manager of Sales, Marketing, and After-Sales at Hyundai Motor Turkey, stated that the first electric model to be produced at their Izmit factories in the second half of the year will be a significant milestone for the brand. He said, "Honestly, we are proud and happy, and at the same time excited, because we will be the second brand to produce electric cars in this land."
Hyundai Motor Turkey Sales, Marketing and After-Sales General Manager Murat Berkel shared his evaluations for 2025 and forecasts for 2026. Berkel stated that 2025 is expected to be positive for the automotive sector in terms of production, domestic market sales, and exports, predicting that the market will close the year at a level of 1 million 350 thousand units, which would be the highest sales figure of all time.
Pointing out that over 100 thousand vehicles have been sold in the market every month except for the first two months of 2025, Berkel emphasized that the monthly sales performance exceeding 100 thousand units also indicates that the Turkish market will show an upward sales trend in the future. Berkel noted that Turkey's potential is greater than this, stating, "Today, according to the latest data, there is one vehicle for every 200 people in Turkey, while this figure is over 500 in Europe. Considering Turkey's population and existing potential, I predict that the automotive market will exceed 1.5 million in the next few years."
"WE REACHED 59,618 SALES IN 11 MONTHS" Hyundai Motor Turkey Sales, Marketing and After-Sales General Manager Berkel pointed out that the most significant factor limiting the upward movement of the market is high interest rates and the difficulties in accessing credit.
Highlighting another point he wanted to draw attention to as a domestic manufacturer, Berkel noted that there has been a significant decrease in the sales rate of domestic vehicles in recent years, sharing that the domestic vehicle sales rate, which was 46% in 2020, has decreased to around 29% this year. Berkel stated, "High domestic vehicle sales are important as they directly contribute to increasing factory production numbers and the economy, as well as preventing unemployment and foreign trade deficits. Therefore, it will be beneficial for the relevant institutions to take some measures to increase domestic vehicle sales, which will positively contribute to production and sales."
Indicating that the automotive market has performed better than expected in 2025, Berkel said, "As the Hyundai brand, we had a good year, reaching 59,618 sales in 11 months. More than 37 thousand of these sales were from our domestic models, while the remaining units were completed with our imported models. Especially with the support of our newly added electric models to our product range, we increased our sales parallel to the market. Considering our current performance, I predict that we will close 2025 with over 66 thousand vehicle sales. We have increased our sales by 128% over the last 5 years, and we aim to reach 100 thousand sales by 2030 by further increasing this performance with new upcoming models."
"THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MARKET IN TURKEY WILL REACH 40% BY 2030" Murat Berkel reported that the electric vehicle market, which has been continuously increasing in recent years, showed a sales performance far above expectations in 2025. Berkel emphasized that in the electric vehicle market in Turkey, there was a 100% increase compared to the previous year, with 166 thousand units sold in 11 months, stating, "Five years ago, the electric vehicle market was 1%, and this year it has risen to 14%. We predict that this rate will reach 35-40% by 2030. Consumers prefer these vehicles because they are environmentally friendly, have low energy consumption, and have a higher technological infrastructure. Of course, the rapidly developing electric charging infrastructure is one of the most important factors consumers consider when purchasing a vehicle. Today, considering the electric vehicle fleet in Turkey, with nearly 40 thousand charging points, consumers' needs are more than met. As the number of charging points increases, consumer interest in electric vehicles also rises in parallel."
Hyundai Motor Turkey Sales, Marketing and After-Sales General Manager Murat Berkel THE NUMBER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE MODELS NEARS 100 Berkel reported that the number of electric vehicle models available for sale in Turkey is approaching 100 as of 2025, stating that this number is increasing every day as brands expand their electric product ranges. Berkel said, "Today, 85% of the electric vehicles sold in the market are sold in the 25% VAT bracket. As the charging infrastructure expands, the second-hand market develops, and the number of models entering the lowest VAT bracket increases, consumer interest in electric vehicles also grows. I believe that in the upcoming period, there will be a shift towards electrification not only in passenger cars but also in commercial vehicles. As a result, there is a rapid transformation towards electrification in the automotive industry."
"WE WILL BE THE SECOND BRAND TO PRODUCE ELECTRIC CARS IN TURKEY" Berkel stated that Hyundai has performed well in 2025 and aims to increase this performance in 2026. Noting that they want to enhance their strengths and goals in electric models, Berkel added, "With our domestic electric model, which we will start production in August 2026, our total number of electric models will rise to 7. Thus, more than 50% of our 13 models offered for sale will be electric models. As the only brand offering an electric model in all segments from A to E, we are in a very good position with our rich equipment levels and high efficiency. We will first launch the facelifted version of our IONIQ 6 model in June. This model will stand out as one of the most efficient models in its segment with various improvements in design and technology. At the same time, we will introduce our Bluelink service for the first time with our IONIQ 6 model as a pioneering model in terms of connectivity and digitalization. With this feature, users will be able to control their vehicles remotely and access all provided features.
In the second half of the year, the first electric model we will produce at our Izmit factory will be a turning point for our brand.
The Hyundai Izmit factory, established in 1997 and the first overseas production center of Hyundai, will contribute to both the national economy and the automotive industry with the production of a fully electric model. Producing an electric car with the craftsmanship of Turkish consumers here is extremely important for both our brand and the Turkish automotive industry. Because we will incorporate the latest technologies in our factory. We have developed our production lines from start to finish for the electric model, and we have completed almost all of our preparations. Frankly, we are proud, happy, and excited because we will be the second brand to produce electric cars in this land. At the same time, we will continue to produce internal combustion models in our factory. Starting from 2027, we will also incorporate new generation hybrid technology.