Taylan Özgür Dil-ISTANBUL
Türkiye has become Europe’s fourth-largest electric car market, overtaking countries such as Belgium, Italy and Spain, on the back of strong domestic demand.
The rise came despite the absence of direct consumer incentives similar to those offered in many European countries and at a time when manufacturers have largely prioritized European Union markets due to emissions targets. One out of every four electric cars sold in Türkiye was a Togg model. In the overall passenger car market, Türkiye maintained its position as Europe’s sixth-largest market.
According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association ACEA) and Türkiye’s Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD), Europe’s electric car market grew by 29 percent in the January-April 2026 period, supported also by renewed incentive schemes, reaching 978,845 units.
In the same period, Türkiye’s electric car market expanded by 28.2 percent to 54,463 units. With this sales volume, Türkiye surpassed Italy, Spain and Belgium to become the fourth-largest electric car market in Europe.
Germany ranked first with 223,980 electric car sales, followed by the United Kingdom with 176,698 units and France with 148,299 units. Togg accounted for nearly 25 percent of electric car sales in Türkiye.
Accounting for all engine types, Europe’s total passenger car market grew by 4.8 percent in the January-April period, reaching around 4.6 million units. During the same period, Türkiye’s passenger car market contracted by 5.9 percent to 290,870 units.
Despite the decline in the first four months of the year, Türkiye remained among Europe’s largest automobile markets. Germany was Europe’s largest car market in January-April with 948,000 units, followed by the United Kingdom with 764,000 units, Italy with 639,000 units, France with 539,000 units and Spain with 407,000 units.
The figures show that electric car demand in Türkiye remained strong without direct consumer incentives, unlike in many European countries. They also indicate that Türkiye reached a significant sales volume despite a period in which European manufacturers directed electric vehicle allocations primarily to their main markets because of emissions regulations.
With faster new model launches and higher vehicle allocations, Türkiye could move further up the European electric car market rankings in the coming period.
