China lithium-ion battery maker Farasis Energy has signed a letter of intent to manufacturer battery modules in Turkey with a consortium aiming to bring domestic electric vehicles to the country.
Farasis will supply lithium-ion cells that will be jointly developed and produced into battery modules for EVs in partnership with Turkey’s automobile joint venture group TOGG.
TOGG is a consortium of companies aiming to roll out Turkey’s first national car in the final quarter of 2022.
A comprehensive business plan will be prepared this year with the goal of establishing the joint venture company officially at the beginning of 2021.
The two companies will also expand their cooperation through a joint venture company to provide battery energy storage solutions for Turkey and the surrounding region.
TOGG’s CEO Gürcan Karakaş said more than 30 global battery suppliers have been evaluated within the framework of confidentiality agreements (NDAs), including possible domestic collaborations since 2018.
Karakaş said: “It is very critical that lithium-ion battery technology comes to our country with an important player like Farasis.
“This cooperation will go beyond producing electric vehicle batteries in Turkey, but also improve battery R&D competencies in our country, trigger the automotive manufacturers to bring their electric vehicle projects to our country, and to enhance the energy storage business with non-automotive energy storage products in Farasis’ product portfolio.
“The new joint-venture will represent a very important new economic value as the exclusive representative of Farasis in the region.
“We have been expressing from the beginning that TOGG will be one of the examples that will trigger the technological transformation in our country while developing zero-emission electric vehicles.”
Last month, BEST reported on the ground-breaking ceremony for Turkey’s first lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant, which was held by the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation owned battery company Aspilsan.
The 24,000m2 facility is being built in Turkey’s Kayseri region.
