Business

Ali Koc: We will make the biggest investment in the Turkish automotive industry to date

Ali Koc stated that they will realize the biggest investment in the Turkish automotive industry to date and said, “With our new investment, our Kocaeli Plant will become the first and only electric vehicle integrated production facility including batteries in Turkey.”

The vision of the investment that Ford Otosan will implement its electric and connected new generation commercial vehicle projects, covering the next 10 years, was announced at the meeting held with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vice President Fuat Oktay, and Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank, Environment and Urban Planning Minister Murat Kurum, Treasury and Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, Koc Holding Vice Chairman and Ford Otosan Chairman Ali Koc, Ford Europe President Stuart Rowley, Koc Holding Senior Manager (CEO) Levent Cakiroglu, Koc Holding Automotive Group President Cenk Cimen, Ford Otosan General Manager Haydar Yenigun and Ford Otosan Chief Executive Officer Dave Johnston.

The Ford Otosan Future Vision Meeting was broadcast live on digital media. The most important phase of the new investment of €2 billion planned to be made in Kocaeli Plants, Europe’s largest commercial vehicle production base, was announced.

Accordingly, within the scope of the strategic partnership of Ford and Volkswagen, the new generation Volkswagen 1-ton commercial vehicle model will be produced by Ford Otosan in Turkey. With the project phase of €1.4 billion announced today, Ford Otosan’s 1-ton medium commercial vehicle capacity is planned to increase to 405 thousand units.

“If there is no setback, we will unload the first vehicle in the 100th anniversary of our Republic”

In his speech here, Ali Koc, Deputy Chairman of Koc Holding Board of Directors and Chairman of Ford Otosan, said, “We would have held this meeting, which is of great importance for the Turkish automotive industry, with great enthusiasm in our Kocaeli Plants, had it not been for pandemic conditions. But it was not fortune. It is a wonderful coincidence that we will unload the first vehicle we will produce as a result of this investment, in the 100th year of our Republic, if nothing goes wrong. We would like to invite you (President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) to the ceremony we will hold that day.”

Reminding that they opened the Yenikoy factory of Ford Otosan 7 years ago with the participation of President Erdogan, Koc said, “In my speech that day I said, ‘As the Koc Group, we have paid attention to focus on long-term goals rather than short-term fluctuations from the past to the present. We have continued and will continue to invest in the future of our country with the biggest investment of our history.’ We kept our word and we are once again in your presence with the biggest investment of the Turkish automotive industry of €2 billion to date. We are grateful for the courage and support you gave us from the first moment we presented this investment decision to you.”

Ali Koc said, “I would like to state that in an environment of uncertainty created by the pandemic and in a period when everyone avoids investment, making the biggest automotive investment in our history is the biggest proof of the trust of our Group and our partner in our country. With this investment, our Kocaeli Plants will become the first and only electric vehicle integrated production facility, including the battery. We consider this 10-year investment as a strategic move forward. In addition to the great added value that will emerge, we will also serve to increase the competitive power of our country in automotive with the ecosystem to be created.”

Call for investment to the international business world

Koc, who also made a call to the international business world in his speech, completed his words as follows:

“Turkey is one of the countries that offer important opportunities in the world with its historical background, trained human resources, R&D capabilities, economic potential, unique geostrategic location and incentive system. It is a great mistake to try to understand it with short-term analysis. Anyone who invests in this country in the long run wins. The success of our Community, which does not hesitate to invest in this country, even in the most difficult times of our economy, and our international partners who rely on us should inspire everyone. As Koc Group, we will continue to trust and grow together with our country as long as we exist.”

“So far we are proud of what we have achieved with Ford Otosan in Turkey”

Ford Europe President Stuart Rowley said, “The foundations of the relationship between Ford and Turkey go back almost 100 years ago. Today, Ford Otosan continues to be the leading company of the Turkish automotive industry and one of the most successful and deep-rooted joint ventures of the global automotive industry. As Ford, we are proud of what we have achieved so far in Turkey with Ford Otosan, our joint venture with Koc Group. From now on, we are ready to add a new one to these successes.”

130 thousand battery installation capacity will be reached

On the other hand, according to what was reported in the statement, within the scope of the biggest investment of the automotive industry announced by Ford Otosan to realize electric and connected new generation commercial vehicle projects, the commercial vehicle production capacity in Kocaeli Plants will increase to 650 thousand units, most of which are export-oriented. In addition, a battery assembly capacity of 130 thousand units will be reached.

More than 12 thousand direct employment by Ford Otosan will increase to 15 thousand people with an additional 3 thousand people. In addition, with the forecast of 15 thousand additional employment in the supplier industry, a total of 18 thousand new jobs will be created.

When the investment is completed, it is aimed to increase the importance of electric commercial vehicle production in Turkey and at the same time to turn Ford into an electric commercial vehicle production base.

New generation Volkswagen 1-ton commercial vehicle model to be produced by Ford Otosan in Turkey

In addition, the diesel and rechargeable, hybrid electric PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid) versions of Ford’s “Next Generation Transit Custom” family and the full electric version will be gradually ready for mass production and offered to customers by mid-2023. In addition to the fully electric new generation Transit Custom model, the new generation Volkswagen 1-ton commercial vehicle model will be produced in Turkey by Ford Otosan within the scope of the strategic partnership between Ford and Volkswagen. With the project phase of €1.4 billion announced today, Ford Otosan’s 1-ton medium commercial vehicle capacity is planned to increase to 405 thousand units.

Turkey’s first and only electric vehicle integrated production facility will be established in Kocaeli

Ford Otosan Kocaeli Plants will first mass-produce Ford’s first fully electric commercial vehicle E-Transit for Europe by 2022 and supply its batteries in Kocaeli. Thus, Turkey’s first and only electric vehicle integrated production facility will be established in Kocaeli.

As of the first half of 2023, Ford Otosan will start to produce the first fully electric version of the “Next Generation Transit Custom” family with diesel and rechargeable, hybrid electric PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid) versions.

Source: AA / Translated by Irem Yildiz

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button