Turkey’s Automobile featured ‘New League’ journey started
Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girişim Grubu TOGG (Turkey’s Automobile Initiative Group) introduced a preview version of the C-SUV models which will begin production in 2022, at the Innovation Journey Meeting in the IT Valley in Gebze. A C-Sedan concept was displayed along with the C-SUV model.
Officially established on June 28, 2018, TOGG introduced the first pre-screening vehicle and its Sedan concept, revealing the point of design and engineering works only 18 months after its establishment, to lay the foundation of its factory in the heart of the Turkish Automotive Industry being the Marmara Region, in 2020. By 2030, it will produce 5 different models on a joint e-platform, with fully owned intellectual and industrial property rights.
Almost 2 thousand people including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, National Assembly President Mustafa Şentop, Vice President Fuat Oktay, Members of Presidential Cabinet, Board Chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey and TOGG Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Turkey’s Automobile Initiative Group shareholders, representatives of the business world, TOGG employees and relatives, Turkey’s first automobile took the stage where it was met with great enthusiasm and admiration.
Regarded as one of the projects of strategic importance in 2023 by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Turkey’s Automobile, will be one of the pioneers in the targeted technological transformation.
At the beginning of the project in two separate original patent registration underlines the claim of passing TOGG many ‘first’s and ‘with most of the mobility ecosystem around smart devices to stimulate development in Turkey. As of the year 2022 when it will start production, it will take its place in the industry as Europe’s first non-classical born electric SUV manufacturer.
We’re one step closer to a half-century dream
TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and TOGG Chairman of the Board, said to be one step closer to the half-century dream of Turkey’s in his speech at the ceremony. Hisarcıklıoğlu continued: “At the TOBB General Assembly in 2017, our President made a call to us and asked us to undertake this project. We set out and brought together our big players (bravehearts). Praise be to our Lord; we are behind our promise. Automotive industry is changing the shell. And a new window of opportunity opens for us. We missed this opportunity in the 1960s. We missed this opportunity in the 1960s. We could not embrace/support the ‘Devrim (revolution)’ car and could not produce Turkey’s automobile. We have tried a lot but failed. But this time, we will accomplish it God willing.”
It is beyond a car
“Do you know why we call it as Turkey’s automobile?” asked Hisarcıklıoğlu and said; “Because, it will not only be manufactured here, but the brand, patent and design will be ours. We won’t buy a license; we will sell a license. We will not assemble; we will make them assemble. We will not work for someone else’s patent; we will employ foreign engineers for our own patents. With the permission of God, the belief of our nation, and then with the support of our President, we will achieve this. Hopefully in 2022, we will get our first vehicle from the band together. That is why Turkey’s automobile is beyond a domestic brand car. Turkey’s automobile is more than just an automobile. Turkey’s automobile is a challenge. Turkey’s automobile is a technological transformation, a global brand, 20 thousand additional jobs, 7.5-billion-dollar reduction in the current account deficit. It is a contribution of 50 billion dollars to the gross national product.
Transformation has just begun
Speaking about the transformation of automotive to mobility ecosystem during the Journey to Innovation meeting, TOGG CEO M. Gürcan Karakaş underlined that the rules of the game has changed in the world and said that “Turkey’s Automobile” project has started in the right place at the right time. Noting that the mega trends, which are widely seen in technology fields, social areas and in the decisions of regulatory bodies, have transformed the automobile into a new living space after home and work Karakaş went on to say; “With this transformation, profit pools in automotive are changing hands. Growth in the sector will come from more profitable new businesses such as demand-based mobility, data-driven business models, autonomous and sharing vehicles.” Karakaş also said, “Everyone is at the beginning of the electric and connected automobile race in the world. Agile, creative, collaborative and user-oriented organizations will succeed in this race. We are in the right place at the right time.”
Further noting that the first vehicle they produce will be a SUV, Karakaş explained the reason for this as follows; “SUV is the fastest growing segment of the past 5 years and will remain so in the next 5 years across the world and in Turkey. Also, we know that this is the most suitable segment to create a popular brand as it is the most desired segment by Turkish consumers, alas a domestically produced alternative is almost non-existent.”
Intellectual and industrial property rights 100% belongs to Turkey
Stating that Turkey’s automobile’s intellectual and industrial property rights 100% belonged to Turkey, M. Gürcan Karakaş went on to say; “We are working to create Turkey’s global brand in a professional integrity, with all our strength and with the bests in the world. From the very beginning, we planned our 15-year roadmap step by step. We formed a team mostly of engineers who are competent, dedicated people with global work experiences and with an average work experience of over 10 years. Our team, which grows every day, has reached to 114 people. We created an organization that can make fast and agile decisions and adopted a user-oriented approach, and we listen to the market and user expectations in all our decisions. We value all the experience and competencies of our country. We found the best business partners in our country, if there isn’t one in our country yet, then we cooperated with the best business partners in the world under the management of our engineers and we continue to do so. Most importantly, we make our way without making any compromises, one of our must criteria that we set by examining and comparing to the world’s best players. While building a new car brand, we also create a global brand and enter a competition with the world. We will have Turkey’s Automobile with its broad product line, conceptual charm, technological capabilities, industrial power and details inspired from our culture.”
Emphasizing the need for execution platforms in countries to realize the technological transformation,
Karakaş also noted; “We will become a platform for the execution and delivery of new technology and new business ideas to the users during the transformation of the automobile into a smart device process. Our mobility ecosystem, which will be emerged around “Turkey’s Automobile”, produced with Turkey’s manufacturing strength and competence, stands as a peak of technology, and engineering challenge, will trigger many new business models and initiatives. We believe that this will also make a difference in the world.”
Mobile phone conversion is also taking place in the automobile
Stating that Turkey’s automobile would also allow the creation of a mobility ecosystem along with it, M. Gürcan Karakaş said: “Customer expectations are changing, what happened in the transformation of mobile phones into smart phones is being repeated in the automobile world. The automobile turns into a smart device, a new living space. Our automobile, which we have developed with this trend in mind, will become a technology platform and an execution area of new initiatives in many sectors as and will pave the way for them to open up to the world.”
“The conventional automotive industry is being replaced by a more secure, efficient, time-saving and transport-integrity mobility ecosystem. New initiatives including TOGG, which are agile, creative, collaborative and user-oriented organizations will have a larger share from the automotive industry’s profit pool while the automotive moguls of the conventional world are having hard time to transform. TOGG also becomes a pioneer for the supply industry in Turkey to transform and survive in the future’s mobility world.” Karakaş quoted.
Expressing their goals of creating a global brand in his speech, TOGG CEO Karakaş added that just like the product, they started branding with market research, and they carried out advanced research to determine the target audience and understand the expectations of the customers in the subconscious dimension. “We have defined our brand core in this direction,” said Karakaş adding, “We are currently in the process of determining and testing the brand name and will complete it until the middle of next year. When determining the brand name that should be original, strong, confident, transforming, sincere and innovative, it is important that it be attractive, suitable for cultural and global language and can be registered.”
“Experienced designer Murat Günak was with the TOGG design team”
Speaking also about the design process of the vehicle, which was displayed for the first time at the f “Journey to Innovation” meeting finale, Gürcan Karakaş noted that design objectives and the vehicle’s technical definition were based on test data from market research said they realized the car’s technical definition with 6 people of the TOGG team based on test data from market research. Karakaş said: “We received support from our world-renowned designer Murat Günak, in eliminating the 18 domestic and foreign design houses to 3, in the formation of the final design theme and in the selection process of Pininfarina, which made this theme 3-dimensional. We registered our original design which we developed and inspired by our culture in international dimension in September ”.
- Gürcan Karakaş said, #Yeniliğeyolculuk (#JourneytoInnovation) also means the journey to #YeniLig (#NewLeague) and underlined that TOGG will be the first company to proudly represent Turkey in the global mobility world. He concluded his speech saying, “Thank you for accompanying our journey to innovation, welcome to the new league.”
About TOGG:
Established on June 28 2018, Turkey’s Automobile Initiative Group Inc., has been founded with a cooperation model first of its kind in Turkey, by the companies which are the leaders in their fields; Anadolu Group, BMC, Kök Group, Turkcell and Zorlu Group under the initiative of The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB). Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and M. Gürcan Karakaş is the CEO. As of 27 December 2019, the company has 114 employees. This number will reach 4 thousand people in the following years.
