Tesla has taken a commanding lead in Türkiye’s electric vehicle (EV) market, recording its strongest month to date and climbing to the nation’s second-largest auto brand overall. The U.S. automaker sold 8,730 Model Y units in August, an 86% increase over July, according to figures from the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD).
The surge pushed Tesla ahead of household names such as Fiat, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Hyundai, trailing only Renault in monthly sales. More importantly, Tesla captured nearly half of Türkiye’s EV market during August, highlighting the strength of its strategy in a country where demand for battery-powered vehicles is growing rapidly.
From January through August, Tesla has delivered roughly 26,000 cars in Türkiye, four times higher than the same period last year. (via Turkish Minute)
The Model Y is currently the only Tesla model officially sold in the country.
Why Turkish Buyers Are Choosing Tesla
Several factors are fueling the brand’s momentum. Türkiye’s EV market has expanded from just 8% of total auto sales last year to about 20% this summer, reflecting both government incentives and consumer preferences shifting to electric.
The Model Y, Tesla’s most popular vehicle, also benefits from being taxed at the lowest bracket under Türkiye’s Special Consumption Tax (SCT) system. In this market, Tesla software locked the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) to 160kW of power in order to qualify for the lowest bracket, giving it a significant edge over combustion engine rivals and even some competing EVs.
ALSO READ: Tesla Approaches 8,000 Model Ys Delivered in Türkiye in 5 Months
This is similar to what Tesla did in Canada to get the base Model 3 to qualify for the $5,000 federal incentive, which in turn allowed other Model 3 trims to also qualify for the rebate.
