I. INTRODUCTION
Electric vehicles have emerged as one of the cornerstones of sustainable transportation due to their environmentally friendly features and energy efficiency. The widespread adoption of electric vehicles holds strategic importance in reducing urban air pollution, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, enhancing energy security, and achieving sustainability goals. In line with its objectives of transitioning to sustainable transportation systems and promoting environmentally friendly technologies, Türkiye has been taking strategic steps to encourage the use of electric vehicles ("EVs").
In this context, based on the Regulation on the Technological Product Investment Support Program ("Regulation") published in the Official Gazette dated 29 April 2014 and numbered 28986, the Ministry of Industry and Technology ("Ministry") has announced the Call for Fast- Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles 2025.01 ("Call"). This Call has been designed to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, establish an accessible, reliable, and fast-charging infrastructure nationwide, support domestic technology production, and contribute to energy security.
The potential of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and decrease dependence on fossil fuels positions the Call as a key component of national sustainability policies. A fast, accessible, and reliable charging infrastructure plays a critical role in this transformation. Fast-charging units facilitate long-distance travel, enhance user experience, and encourage the preference for electric vehicles.
This article discusses the purpose, scope, application procedures, incentive mechanisms, and outcomes of the Call.
II. THE STATE OF TÜRKİYE'S CHARGING UNIT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE CALL
Türkiye has made significant progress in developing its electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Under the initial support program, which was completed as of 31 January 2024, more than 1,000 fast-charging units were installed across 81 provinces and 400 districts.
Together with private sector investments, the total number of fast-charging units has reached approximately 6,000, positioning Türkiye as the European leader in the number of fast-charging sockets per vehicle.
However, the increasing number of electric vehicles necessitates the further development of the existing infrastructure and its equitable distribution throughout the country. This Call aims to ensure access to fast-charging units across all regions, meet infrastructure needs at the provincial and district levels, provide high-quality, fast, and affordable charging services, and support the growth of domestic charging equipment manufacturers.
Accordingly, the Call has been structured to address needs identified at the province/district level based on socio-economic development rankings, gross domestic product (GDP), population, number of vehicles, traffic density, existing charging infrastructure, population projections, and the Energy Market Regulatory Authority's ("EMRA") projections for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
II. SCOPE AND SUBJECT OF THE CALL
The Call aims to support investment projects for the establishment of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles by legal entities. Eligible projects will focus on investment topics that meet the location and minimum investment amount requirements as outlined in Annex-1 of the Call announcement. Investment projects must meet the following conditions:
- Investment Topic: Each project must focus on only one of the investment topics specified in Annex-1 of the Call announcement.
- Minimum Unit Requirements: Projects must meet the minimum unit number and distribution requirements determined for each province/district.
- Domestic Goods Certificate: All charging units must have a valid Domestic Goods Certificate as of the invoice date.
- Location Flexibility: Units can be installed at any location within the geographic boundaries of the province/district.
- Free Units: At least 3 different provinces must be involved, with each unit installed in a different district; a maximum of 4 free units can be installed in one province.
- Distance Requirements: A minimum distance of 1 km must be maintained between units in residential areas, and 10 km along the same direction on highways.
- Technical Specifications: Units must have a minimum charging capacity of 120 kW, a peak current capacity of 300 Amps, and a continuous current capacity of 250 Amps; they must also be certified by TSE as compliant with CE marking, IP54 protection class, and TS 13912 Safety Standard.
- Access: Units must be installed in public spaces accessible to all electric vehicle users.
The terms used in the Call are based on the definitions in the Regulation on the Technological Product Investment Support Program, its Implementation Procedures and Principles, and the TS 13909 standard. Projects must be completed no later than 30 September 2026, and investments made after the announcement of the Call will be considered.
III. APPLICATION PROCESS AND EVALUATION
Applications will be accepted through the website sarjdestek.sanayi.gov.tr or other methods specified by the Ministry until the end of business hours on 20 June 2025. For the application, an EPRA Charging Network Operator License or a certificate obtained from a charging network operator is required. The application documents are specified in the relevant Call announcement issued by the Ministry.
The Ministry may charge an application fee, and it has been stated that fees will not be refunded. It is also noted that only one investor will be supported for each Investment Topic. Regarding the evaluation process for project applications submitted for investment topics, it has been stated that applications will be ranked based on the "total requested support amount" for the relevant Investment Topic. According to this ranking, the business that commits to implementing the investment with the unique lowest "total requested support amount" will be granted support for the relevant Investment Topic.
If multiple applicants submit the same lowest requested support amount for the same Investment Topic, these applicants will be given the opportunity to renew their support requests. After revisions, if the lowest requested support amounts remain the same, this process will be repeated twice more. In the case of continued equality, a revision opportunity will be granted, and the process may be repeated twice more. If equality persists, the Investment Topic will be removed from the Call.
Support Calculations:
- Requested Support Ratio:The ratio of the requested support amount to the total investment amount cannot exceed 60%, as specified in the announcement.
- Maximum Support per Unit:The maximum support amount per unit is capped at 500,000 TL.
Guarantees:
- Temporary Guarantee Letter: A temporary guarantee letter of 500,000 TL, valid until 30 September 2025, must be submitted by the investor to the Ministry of Industry and Technology by the final application date of the Call for each Investment Topic.
- Final Guarantee Letter:After the investor is notified of the support decision, a final guarantee letter must be submitted within 30 business days, for the amount specified in Annex-2 of the Call announcement, valid until 31 March 2027. Failure to submit this guarantee will result in the loss of the right to support.
The investment support agreement for the investor will be signed after the submission of the final guarantee letter. The investor commits to completing the unit installation by 30 September 2026. In cases of force majeure, the Ministry may make changes in accordance with Article 18/4 of the Regulation, and in other cases, in accordance with Article 23/2 of the Regulation.
IV. INVESTMENT SUPPORTS AND CONDITIONS UNDER THE CALL
Under the Call, for projects that receive a support decision, support will be provided for machinery and equipment for charging units, as well as auxiliary equipment support for distribution transformers, panels, and cabling.
1.Machinery and Equipment Support:
- Up to 60% grant for charging units; the support amount is calculated by multiplying the requested support rate by the invoice amount excluding VAT, but cannot exceed 500,000 TL per unit.
2. Auxiliary Equipment Support:
- Distribution Transformer: A grant of up to
180,000 TL for transformers up to 400 kVA with a valid Domestic
Goods Certificate, at a rate of 50%.
- Cabling: A grant of up to 75,000 TL for cables
up to 100 meters with a valid Domestic Goods Certificate, at a rate
of 50%.
- Charging Unit Panel: A grant of up to 50,000 TL for panels with a valid Domestic Goods Certificate, at a rate of 50%.
3. Power Increase Support:
- For units of 180 kW and above, a 20% increase will be added to the entitled support. (This requires cables with 500 Amp peak and 400 Amp continuous current capacity.)
- The total support cannot exceed 75% of the investment cost.
Restrictions:
- Investments exceeding the number of units specified in EK-1 of the Call announcement will not be supported.
- Except for free units, if the number of units installed is less than 70% of the total, the project will be considered unsuccessful, support will not be provided, and the final guarantee will be recorded as revenue by the Treasury.
- In projects completed at 70% or more, 200,000 TL will be deducted from the support for each unit that was not installed.
Support Conditions:
- The units must operate under a license/certificate in compliance with the Electricity Market Law, must be registered with the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), and must be documented by TSE for compliance with the Workplace Opening and Operating License and TS 13912.
- An investor can receive support for a maximum of 5 Investment Topics.
- Units cannot be sold, leased, or transferred for 1 year; operations between 1-3 years are subject to Ministry approval.
The location of the units can be changed within the same province/district with Ministry approval.
VI. CONCLUSION
The Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Infrastructure Development Program Call 2025.01 is a strategic initiative that strengthens Türkiye's sustainable transportation vision and supports the widespread adoption of environmentally friendly technologies. Designed to accelerate the growth of the electric vehicle ecosystem, expand fast and reliable charging services nationwide, and contribute to the development of the domestic industry, this Call offers a significant opportunity for the private sector. Through this Call, operators will also increase their investments in regions with low population density.
This program plays a critical role in reinforcing Türkiye's position as a leader in Europe, promoting domestic technology production, and enhancing energy security. It encourages investors to contribute to national sustainability goals. Legal entities applying with projects that align with the Call can gain a competitive advantage in the growing electric vehicle market, play a pioneering role in the green transformation process, and support the goal of leaving a cleaner environment for future generations.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
