Ali Koç, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Koç Holding, made statements at the “Ford Otosan Future Vision Meeting”.
Koç also said, “With our new investment, our Kocaeli plant will become Turkey’s first and only electric vehicle integrated production facility, including batteries.”
“In particular, I would like to state that, in the uncertainty created by the pandemic and in a period when everyone is staying away from investment, making the biggest automotive investment in our history is the biggest proof of the belief of our Group and our partner in our country. With this investment, our Kocaeli Plants are the first and only in Turkey – including its battery. electric vehicle will become an integrated production facility. We see this investment, which will last for 10 years, as a forward-looking strategic move. 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. “
650 thousand vehicles, 130 thousand batteries
Within the scope of the biggest investment of the automotive industry announced by Ford Otosan to implement electric and connected new generation commercial vehicle projects; Commercial vehicle production capacity in Kocaeli Plants, most of which is for export, will increase to 650 thousand units; In addition, a battery assembly capacity of 130 thousand units will be reached. The direct employment of more than 12 thousand people realized 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 Turkey in the production of electric commercial vehicles and at the same time to turn it into Ford’s electric commercial vehicle production base.
The fully electric new generation Transit Custom model and Volkswagen’s 1-ton commercial vehicle will be produced by Ford Otosan 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.
Also; Under the strategic partnership of Ford and Volkswagen, the new generation Volkswagen 1-ton commercial vehicle model will also be produced by Ford Otosan in Kocaeli.
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.
