Turkish electric car brand Togg is reversing its sales plans. Available since March in dedicated European markets, the brand is re-focusing on its domestic market only as the brand needs to sort out certain teething problems.

“We should first show sustained success in our own market,” told Togg CEO Gürcan Karakas to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)  in an interview, and pointed out how the “Tesla from Turkey” should learn to build a success story in its home market first.

Not until 2025

Those teething problems seem quite severe. The caused delay means that the SUV T10X won’t be available outside Turkey before 2025, even in 2026 in some main markets. This is basically an eternity in these rapidly changing electrification days, where disruption is driven by imported Chinese start-ups.

Within the renewed strategy, Togg will focus on the EV-prone Scandinavian markets first, before descending toward France and Germany. Karakas, who served at Bosch for almost 30 years, continued: “Getting into the market is easy, but staying there is a challenge.”

The T10X seems to be the victim of its own success. Demand in Turkey is strong, and the start-up company needs to ramp up production – always the tricky part – from 40 to 160 units per day. Quadrupling the output at the end of this month will prove a significant challenge.

The original schedule was to have streamlined the factory output in November last year. Deliveries have been slow. Last month, no more than roughly 300 units reached their Turkish owners.

Prestige project

Initially, the plan was to have the first models delivered by the end of the year in foreign markets like Germany, where interest wasn’t lagging. Some 177 400 candidates filed for a purchase, of which 20 000 were preliminarily chosen. These orders will now need to be readdressed.

The T10X is called a smart device by its maker, which can “also be used as a car”. The car carries a price tag of 47 500 euros, is continuously connected to the internet, and provides a range between 340 (52.4 kWh) and 523 (88.1 kWh) kilometers.

It’s a prestige project from Turkish President Erdogan and the first Turkish car built locally. The batteries are sourced from Chinese company Farasis, which also partners in constructing a cell factory in Turkey.