South Korean automaker Hyundai has begun mass production of its fully electric IONIQ 3 at its İzmit plant following an investment of 250 million euros.
The launch marks the first time an international carmaker has produced a fully electric passenger vehicle in Türkiye, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said at a ceremony on Aug. 14.
The plant will initially produce 30,000 IONIQ 3 vehicles annually.
“For the first time, an international automotive manufacturer is beginning production of a fully electric passenger vehicle in our country,” Kacır said.
Hyundai said more than half of the İzmit factory had been modernized over the past two years to accommodate electric vehicle production while retaining the flexibility to manufacture vehicles with different powertrains.
Hyundai Mobis, part of Hyundai Motor Group, is also developing a battery-system assembly facility at the site.
Established in 1997, the İzmit factory is Hyundai’s first and longest-running overseas production plant outside South Korea. It has produced about 3.3 million vehicles across 13 models and currently employs around 2,400 people.
Kacır said Türkiye’s automotive industry now produces around 1.5 million vehicles annually, with exports reaching $41.5 billion.
More than 450,000 electric vehicles are registered in the country, while fully electric models have accounted for over 17 percent of domestic vehicle sales this year, according to the minister.
The government expects the number of electric vehicles on Turkish roads to exceed 1.5 million by 2030.
