Turkey imposes restrictions on hybrid car imports  

Turkey has introduced stringent regulations on the import of plug-in hybrid vehicles from some countries, including China.

The notice includes rules such as importers need to have at least 20 authorised service centres across seven regions in Turkey for chargeable hybrid vehicles not manufactured in the European Union or in countries with which Turkey has a no free trade agreement, according to a notice published in the official gazette.

The notice will take effect 30 days from its issuance, the report said.

Turkey announced in June it would impose an additional 40 percent customs duty on electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China, but later unveiled plans to scrap the tariff.

• Turkish car sales fall for fourth consecutive month
• Auto industry buoyant despite Turkey’s woes
• Turkey’s EV production finally gets into gear

In July, Chinese EV manufacturer Byd said it will construct a $1 billion plant in Turkey with an annual capacity of 150,000 units.

Although output in the country’s automotive sector decelerated sharply in August, EVs recorded robust sales.

Sales rose 159 percent in the first eight months of 2024 as 41,300 EVs rolled off Turkey’s lots, a third being the domestically-produced Togg, built by a state-supported conglomerate of local manufacturers.