Strategic Insights on the Turkish Bus Market, Forecast to 2030

Well-established Local OEMs with Strong Electric Portfolios Will Proliferate in the Alternative Powertrain Space

Turkey is one of the biggest manufacturing bases in Europe for connected vehicles (CVs), particularly truck and bus production. The country’s strategic position appeals to global automotive companies in terms of founding a production plant and the advantages of relatively cheap labor and beneficial logistics when moving products to their final destination. Anadolu Izuzu, Karsan, Otokar, Temsa, Mercedes-Benz, and MAN Turkey are the key bus OEMs. These players are expanding their product portfolios to include battery electric and fuel cell buses in the transit segment.

The market is witnessing strong collaborations among incumbent automakers and suppliers. The European Union is a major export market for Turkish buses. In fact, the EU Clean Vehicle Directive will boost electric bus adoption, particularly as part of national public transport procurement. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) buses will see strong growth from 2022 to 2025 while JIVE projects will encourage fuel cell bus adoption across EU countries. Also, the entry of major utility and energy companies into the electric charging infrastructure space will boost the growth of fueling infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs).

Currently, Turkey has a bus market population of 209,000 vehicles with 60% of them older than 10 years, which provides strong opportunity for fleet renewal. In addition, the EBRD Green Cities program will prioritize sustainable urban transportation and infrastructure in the selected cities of Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara. On the EV regulation front, the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) is expected to implement new standards, positioning, and licensing requirements for charging stations in addition to the legal framework for EVs. The relatively low total cost of ownership for electric buses, when compared to diesel buses, and the push to develop charging infrastructure will make electric buses a profitable option after 2028.