Ford Otosan inaugurated its Yeniköy plant, which it modernized and increased its production capacity as part of an investment drive launched in 2021. The plant’s capacity will increase nearly four times to 405,000 units in 2025 with ongoing investments, and Ford Otosan’s electric vehicle production range will expand. Ford Otosan calls the plant “The Factory of the Future”.
The reconstruction of the Yeniköy Plant is part of Ford Otosan’s EUR 2 billion vision project, the largest investment of the Turkish private sector to date, announced in 2021 with the mission of leading the electric transformation of the automotive industry.
Ford Otosan, the global commercial vehicle production partner of the U.S. Ford Motor Company, is the sole manufacturer in Europe for Ford’s best-selling light commercial vehicle model Transit and the exclusive manufacturer in the world for the Transit Custom model.
The capacity of the Yeniköy plant has increased from 68,000 units to 245,000 units with an investment of approximately 1 billion euros, and will increase to 405,000 units in 2025.
Erdogan: Ford Otosan will continue to be the flagship in EV production
Speaking at the ceremony organized for the opening of the plant, President Tayyip Erdoğan said, “Our aim is to make our country one of the world’s leading players in electric vehicle and battery production. We have no doubt that Ford Otosan will continue to be the flagship of our country in electric vehicle production and sales. We will continue to support Ford Otosan.”
Ali Koc: Government incentives were effective for this investment
Ali Koc, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Koc Holding, stated that the government incentives were effective in attracting this investment, and spoke as follows: “Our factory will reinforce our position as Europe’s leading electric commercial vehicle manufacturer. In addition to the huge added value it will create directly, what excites us the most is… It will further enhance the global competitiveness of the Turkish automotive ecosystem and serve beyond our borders.”
Hans Schep, General Manager of Ford’s commercial vehicle unit Pro in Europe, stated that thanks to the investment, Ford Otosan will become carbon-neutral by 2030 and the plant is a milestone in the company’s commercial vehicle operations in Europe.
The plant will be able to produce vehicles with internal combustion engines at the same time as electric vehicles. In the first phase, diesel-engine versions of the Transit Custom model will be produced, and in the first half of 2024, rechargeable hybrid electric (PHEV) and full electric engine versions will be produced.
The Yeniköy plant will also produce the new generation 1 ton Volkswagen commercial vehicle, which belongs to the Ford and Volkswagen partnership.
With the commissioning of the investment, Transit model production at the Yeniköy plant will be shifted to the neighboring Gölcük plant. Gölcük will focus only on Transit production.
Ford Otosan started producing electric vehicles for the first time last year with the e-Transit, the electric model of the Transit, Europe’s best-selling commercial vehicle.
Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli facilities, consisting of the Yeniköy and Gölcük plants, are Europe’s largest commercial vehicle production center.
Automotive is Turkey’s largest export sector. According to company officials, three-quarters of the commercial vehicles produced in Turkey are manufactured at Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli plants.
