Booming demand prompts Türkiye to pledge more homegrown Togg cars
Türkiye’s first domestically manufactured car brand will be delivering more units than it had earlier planned as part of the initial deliveries due to booming demand after the automaker launched the preorder process.
Togg had planned to deliver 12,000 units of its electric vehicle (EV) model named T10X, whose buyers are to be selected through a digital draw that is planned for this week.
Yet, both the size of the first batch of fully electric C-segment SUVs to be distributed, as well as the date of the draw, have been changed, the company said on Saturday.
The statement came as Turks have been flocking online seeking to be among the first owners of the country’s first domestically manufactured car, which went into production within five years from its design phase.
Togg on Saturday said it now plans to deliver 20,000 units of T10Xs to buyers that will be selected in the draw set for Wednesday, instead of Tuesday.
The change came a day after the company said more than 100,000 people submitted applications in the first week after the preorder process was launched.
“We thank you for your great interest, we are increasing the number of T10X to be delivered by lottery from 12,000 to 20,000,” it wrote on Twitter. “The last day for preorders is March 27. The draw date has also been moved forward by one day to March 29.”
Users who create a Tru.ID via the Trumore application or the Togg website are entitled to participate in the draw by configuring the T10X they want to preorder and making the down payment of TL 60,000 to the Trumore e-Wallet via money transfer or credit card.
Togg’s first model will have a price ranging from TL 953,000 (around $50,230) to around TL 1.22 million.
The vehicle is being manufactured by a consortium of five Turkish companies called the Automobile Initiative Group of Türkiye, or Togg, in cooperation with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB).
Having begun mass production in late October, Togg said the fully electric T10X would be initially sold with one engine and two battery options.
The model will feature a range of 314 or 523 kilometers (195 or 325 miles), depending on the battery size. The twin-engine type will also be offered for sale in the coming period.
The first version of the T10X is able to accelerate from zero to 100 kph (62.14 mph) in 7.6 seconds, while the second, for which delivery will start on Oct. 29, can do zero-100 kph in 4.8 seconds.
The second version also sports an all-wheel drive, featuring 320 kW power (435 horsepower).
The batteries of the Togg T10X can be recharged to up to 80% from 20% in less than 28 minutes at fast-charging stations.
Drivers can choose from six different color options for the electric vehicle.
Calling itself a technology brand that blends digital and physical experiences, Togg has joined hands with multiple startups to create a new mobility ecosystem.
Besides the SUV, Togg will manufacture another four models – a sedan, C-hatchback, B-SUV and B-MPV – through the year 2030. The sedan will follow the mass production of the SUV.
The carmaker earlier said it aimed to produce up to 20,000 cars this year.
Although it marks a low level compared to global standards, Togg achieving this output level will see it more than doubling Türkiye’s electric car fleet within a year.
The current production capacity stands at around 100,000 vehicles per year, a figure that is expected to reach 175,000 once Togg’s factory reaches full capacity.
The brand aims to produce 1 million vehicles across the five segments by 2030.
EV sales in Türkiye jumped 172% year-over-year in 2022 to 7,300 units, according to industry data. However, their share remained under 1% within the total vehicle market, which stood at around 783,000 units last year.
The total number of electric cars increased almost twofold last year but stayed at around 15,000 units.
In what has been seen as a boost to the national car project, Türkiye last week announced it would impose an additional 40% customs duty on electric vehicles made in China.