Turkey's domestically-produced car TOGG makes international debut in Las Vegas

'We define ourselves as a technology company. That is why we are at CES, the gathering place for the latest technological innovations and firsts,' Gürcan Karakaş, the CEO of Turkey's Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG), the consortium that developed the car, said during a press conference at the event. Karakaş said that TOGG's technologies, brought together under the 'Smart Life' platform, encompass much more than a fully connected car. 'We are building TOGG with a completely user-centric approach. If a product does not create user value, it will not survive. 'We defined our C-SUV smart device as user-centric, smart, empathetic, connected, autonomous, shared and electric,' he noted. 'The Use-Case Mobility concept, which embodies these characteristics, has been registered all around the world. We worked on over 350 use cases and came up with over 40 innovative ideas. More than 2,000 people took part in quantitative research which included more than 30 focus groups and interviews. A 'User Journey Map' was developed based on the concepts we prioritized,' he added. Karakaş said the TOGG's portfolio includes smart energy solutions, adding: 'We will manufacture our batteries in-house through Siro Silk Road Clean Energy Solutions, a joint venture with Farasis Energy.' 'We aim to supply batteries for all types of electric vehicles and to establish a presence in non-automotive sectors as a battery and energy storage systems provider,' he said. TOGG aims to produce one million vehicles in five different segments by 2030. 'By the end of 2022, we will launch our first mass-production vehicle,' he said. 'Our first vehicle in the C-segment, the SUV, will be launched in the first quarter of 2023 following the completion of homologation tests. It will be the first electric SUV produced in continental Europe by a non-traditional manufacturer.' In June 2018, five industrial giants including the Anadolu Group, BMC, Kök Group, Turkcell and Zorlu Holding as well as an umbrella organization, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkiye, joined hands to create TOGG. TOGG became the first Turkish brand to receive an iF Design Award in 2021, one of the most prestigious design awards in the world, with its C-SUV model.