Turkey’s electric vehicle revolution: from 44 cars to europe’s fourth-largest ev market

Turkey has achieved a remarkable transformation in electric vehicle adoption, evolving from one of Europe’s smallest EV markets to its fourth-largest in less than a decade. This dramatic shift illustrates how emerging markets are embracing clean transportation technology at unprecedented speeds, often outpacing established economies.

The scale of Turkey’s EV revolution becomes clear through individual stories like that of Berke Astarcıoğlu. When he purchased a BMW i3 in 2016, he was among just 44 people in the entire country of 80 million to buy a battery electric vehicle that year. By 2023, when he upgraded to a Tesla, the landscape had changed dramatically—electric cars represented 7% of all new vehicle sales, and his once-exotic Tesla had become commonplace on Turkish roads.

The momentum has only accelerated since then. Turkey’s EV adoption rate now matches that of the European Union, positioning the country as a major player in Europe’s electric vehicle market. Only Germany, the United Kingdom, and France now surpass Turkey in total EV market size, a remarkable achievement for a nation that was barely registering electric vehicle sales less than a decade ago.

This rapid transition reflects a broader global pattern where emerging markets are leapfrogging traditional automotive technologies and embracing electric vehicles faster than many developed nations. Turkey’s success demonstrates that the shift away from fossil fuel-powered transportation is gaining unstoppable momentum across diverse economic and geographic contexts.