Tesla is expanding its Supercharger footprint globally, and Turkey is the latest country to come on board. The popular EV maker has started constructing its first Supercharger station in the northwestern province of Bolu.
In the US, Tesla has applied for funding that requires its Superchargers to be open to all EVs.
Hurriyet Daily News reports that the necessary equipment has been delivered to the site, and the chargers will go live soon. Tesla has revealed its Supercharger expansion plans in Turkey, and it will install chargers in locations in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin, Bahkesir, Bursa, Edirne, Antalya, and Konya.
These chargers will prepare the way as Tesla wants to enter the Turkish market this year formally. It will sell all its current models in the country.
According to the Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Association (TEHAD), EV sales in Turkey may soon reach 4,500 units in Turkey. The association reported 2,413 EVs were registered in Turkey in the first half of 2022, up 170 percent from last year. Last June, EV sales reached 499 units but accounted for less than one percent of total car sales.
However, EV prices may soon drop significantly as there are plans to introduce a new value-added tax (VAT), thanks to a new regulation passed by the parliament. EVs will have a VAT rate of 10 percent, including local brand TOGG.
EV sales in 2022 in Turkey have been dominated by the German pair of BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Turkey has about 3,500 EV charging stations. It is expected to have 30,000 EVs by the middle of the decade and 160,000 by 2030.
Tesla is already welcoming other EVs to its Superchargers in parts of Europe.
