Sabah - Türkiye is set to become the production base for electric-powered vehicles. After France’s Renault designated Bursa as a base for electric car production, Ford Motor Company from the US has chosen Golcuk as the location for the manufacturing of the company’s first electric-powered vehicle.
The Transit Connect, manufactured in Ford Otosan’s Golcuk factory, will be the Ford Motor Company’s first-ever electric vehicle. The vehicle will be exported to the US from Türkiye, where they will be fitted with electric engines. The first electric-powered Transit Connects are expected to go on sale by the end of the year. The target is to sell one thousand electric Ford Transit Connect vehicles annually. The price of the vehicle is expected to be approximately USD 60,000. After the Transit Connect, Ford is anticipating to produce four other electric vehicles as well as a hybrid for sale. The next electric vehicle Ford plans to produce after the Transit Connect will be the Focus Sedan. In 2012, Ford plans to put two more hybrid models on sale.
France’s Renault is also planning to manufacture electric vehicles in Türkiye. Renault’s first electric vehicle to enter the market will be the Fluence sedan, which will be manufactured in the Oyak Renault Factory in Bursa. Renault's General Manager of Operations Patrick Pélata announced during a meeting that the electric Fluence will be produced in Bursa and stated that the Oyak Renault Bursa facilities will play a significant role in Renault’s future plans concerning electric-powered cars. Oyak Renault will export 100,000 electric Fluence vehicles to Israel and Denmark over the next five years. According to deals in place, Renault has already secured EUR 1 billion worth of exports of electric cars. The French car maker will initially produce 20,000 vehicles annually in its Bursa plant and will be able to up its production to 30,000 units depending on the demand.