Work continues at the Gemlik production facility of Turkey’s Automobile Enterprise Group (TOGG) without slowing down. Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank personally examined the latest situation in the factory construction on site.
Minister Varank stated that after the works are completed, this will be the most environmentally friendly factory in Europe. In addition, he shared that the domestic car will come off the mass production line at the end of 2022, as promised.
Europe’s first and only electric SUV model: TOGG
To Minister Varank, who made inspections at TOGG’s Gemlik facility, which will be Europe’s first and only electric SUV model when it gets off the band; In this visit, Deputy Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Turkey’s Automobile Enterprise Group Board Member, Zorlu Holding Chairman of the Board Ahmet Nazif Zorlu and TOGG CEO Mehmet Gürcan Karakaş were accompanied.
To Minister Varank, who was briefed by the authorities on investment strategies; Information was given on the properties of paint, body and assembly buildings, new technologies used in construction, blind formwork application and the current situation. In addition, the Minister also examined the newly opened highway connection road on site and shared his evaluations on all these issues as follows:
“We are in Gemlik for Turkey’s Automobile project, which we believe will mark Turkey’s 100th year. We call it Turkey’s Car, but when we look at the changes in the world of mobility, it would be more correct to say Turkey’s Car, a technological tool that will mark the future. As we announced in 2019, the factory construction in Gemlik continues as planned so that the car can get off the mass production line by the end of 2022.
Despite the pandemic, our brave men in Turkey’s Automobile Enterprise Group continue to work with great devotion and great effort. The building we are in will be a paint shop. Our cars will be painted here with the latest technology. The factory will be completed with the establishment and operation of the lines. ”
Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank
2 thousand 500 tons of iron connections were made in the paint building where Minister Varank was inspecting. 22 thousand cubic meters of concrete was poured. 138 steel columns were erected. 11 thousand tons of steel production was completed. More than 1,600 personnel work throughout the construction. In the facility, iron connections, concrete castings, basement curtain fabrications, column assemblies, steel fabrications, roof-facade sandwich panel assemblies of the body production building, assembly building, energy building, water treatment plant, battery building, entrance building and treatment building continue.
535 meters of rain water and 2 thousand 450 meters of waste water line were built for the infrastructure of the factory. 623 meters of culvert fabrication has been completed. 2 thousand meters of perimeter wall production has been completed. 11 thousand cubic meters of excavation, 82 thousand cubic meters of filling was done.
Domestic automobile will be opened to the world in 2024-2025
Zorlu Holding Chairman of the Board of Directors Ahmet Nazif Zorlu shared that 70 percent of the construction, which started in July 2020, has been completed. On the other hand, Zorlu said that Europeans made innovations on internal combustion engines, while TOGG started this business from scratch. Noting that the domestic car will be sold to the world, Zorlu stated that they will open to the global market in 2024-2025.
TOGG CEO Mehmet Karakaş stated that they are working day and night and that they will build a center in Gemlik, where they will perform R&D, design studio and testing, and experience the technologies to be used in the future, in addition to the production facility.
Stating that they aim to complete the building-related issues by the end of this year, Karakaş said, “Equipment will be installed until May-June of next year. In the following periods, what is required in each production system will be done step by step, in order and properly. It will be ready for mass production at the end of 2022. ” he said.
5 different TOGG models will come by 2030
TOGG, which emerged with the aim of creating a globally competitive automobile brand, in which Turkey has intellectual and industrial property rights, will launch 5 different models by 2030. At the first stage, electric, connected and new generation cars with a 51 percent domestic rate will be produced in the factory established on an area of 1.2 million square meters in Gemlik.