Türkiye Surpasses Europe in Charging Infrastructure

While the electric vehicle market in Turkey is expected to show record growth in 2025, the capacity of the charging infrastructure and consumption data have also reached all-time highs. Between January and October 2025, the number of electric vehicles increased by 69%, from 198,000 to 334,000, while electricity consumption at charging stations increased by 147%.

Selçuk Nazik, General Manager of Sarjagel.com, stated, “Turkey is in a better position than Europe in terms of the number of vehicles per charging socket; however, we must increase the pace of investment.” The increasing demand has brought both infrastructure investments and the need for technological transformation to the forefront of the agenda.

According to research conducted by Sarjagel.com, based on the latest data from the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), there are a total of 36,280 charging sockets in Turkey. Of these, 20,677 are AC and 15,603 are DC fast charging points. Considering that the number of electric vehicles is 334,000, there is one socket for every 9.2 vehicles in Turkey. This ratio is significantly higher than the European average (13.7 vehicles/socket).

Selçuk Nazik, General Manager of Sarjagel.com, emphasized that Turkey is ahead of Europe with this situation, stating: “While there is approximately one socket for every 14 vehicles in Europe, this figure is around 9 in Turkey. So, in terms of infrastructure, we are ahead of many countries. However, the ideal ratio should be even lower. To reach the level of one socket for every 5 vehicles, we need at least 30,000 additional socket investments.”

The impact of charging consumption on the electricity infrastructure is currently limited.

On the other hand, according to data from October 2025, 2,328,190 charging operations took place at charging stations, and a total of 47,429 MWs of electricity was consumed. This amount represents only 0.17% of Turkey's total electricity consumption of 27,428,000 MWs in the same month. Nazik stated that this rate shows that the impact of electric vehicles on the national electricity supply is very low, adding, "The share of charging consumption in total electricity is not even 0.2%. In other words, Turkey can easily meet the growth of electric vehicles with its current electricity production structure." Istanbul, with 14,438 MWs, is the city with the highest charging consumption; 30% of the energy used is consumed in Istanbul.

Data Item	Value	Source
Total Monthly Electricity Consumption (October 2025)	27.428.000 MWs (27,428   GWs)	TEİAŞ   Data
EV Charging Consumption (October 2025)	47.429 MWs	EPDK Data

“The real revolution will be in battery technology”

According to industry representatives, the goal is not just to increase the number of sockets; the crucial element will be the leap in battery technologies. “Solid-state batteries offering a range of 1,000 km and reaching 80% charge from 20% in 5 minutes are on the horizon. China has made significant progress in this area. As charging times shorten, the need for sockets will become more balanced,” said Nazik, adding that new battery factories planned in Turkey will give impetus to the sector, and that infrastructure investments should accelerate in parallel with these developments.

Application complexity at charging stations is tiring for users

One of the most frequently complained about issues in Turkey is the complexity of charging applications and incompatibility between operators. Many users experience problems due to applications not opening, version incompatibility, unnecessary data entry, and payment processes.

The General Manager of Sarjagel.com commented on the issue, saying, “Many applications accumulate on our phones that we might only use once or twice a year. This is not sustainable. The charging process should be as simple as ‘Invoice information – Swipe card – Start charging.’ A centralized technology platform is essential.” Nazik emphasizes that a standardized software infrastructure centered on user experience will pave the way for the sector.

Call for incentives: “Government support is critical in this rapidly growing market”

Stating that significant investment is needed to reduce the number of charging sockets to 1 for every 5 vehicles, Nazik underlined the importance of government support:

“It is not easy for the private sector to undertake investments of this scale alone. With the right incentive policies, Turkey can create an exemplary infrastructure in its region. While Turkey is ahead of Europe in the number of sockets per vehicle, the low impact of charging consumption on national electricity demand provides significant growth potential for the sector.

However, in the coming period, battery technologies, the quality of digital infrastructure of charging operators, and investment incentives will be the most critical determinants of the market's sustainable growth.”