While Turkey breaks records in electricity generation from domestic and renewable sources, electric vehicles are also becoming a strategic element that will reduce energy imports.
Turkey is undergoing one of the most significant energy transformation processes in recent years. The share of domestic sources in electricity generation reaching 85%, and that of renewable sources reaching 72.3%, reveals that electric vehicles have become critical not only environmentally but also economically and strategically.
Historic Records Broken in Electricity Generation
According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, a total of 27.15 billion kWh of electricity was generated in Turkey in May 2026. During this period, hydroelectric power plants reached an all-time high on a monthly basis with 11.71 billion kWh of production, accounting for 43.1% of total electricity generation.
Wind power plants contributed 8.8% of total production with 2.39 billion kWh, while solar power plants accounted for 13.7% with 3.72 billion kWh. Thus, the combined share of wind and solar energy in electricity generation rose to 22.5%.
With this picture, the share of domestic sources in electricity generation reached 85%, and the share of renewable sources reached 72.3%, achieving a historic level.
A similar trend was observed in the first five months of 2026. Hydroelectric production reached 46.4 billion kWh, wind production 18 billion kWh, and solar production 14.2 billion kWh, all marking the highest levels for their respective periods. During the same process, 106.5 billion kWh of electricity was generated from domestic sources, and 88.1 billion kWh from renewable sources.
Energy Imports: One of Turkey's Biggest Economic Burdens
According to data shared by Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek, Turkey's total energy imports reached approximately 1.1 trillion dollars in the last 23 years. This figure corresponds to approximately 1.5 times the total current account deficit and 2.1 times the total external debt.
In Turkey's installed capacity, hydroelectric power accounts for 25.7%, solar for 21.5%, wind for 12.1%, biomass for 1.7%, and geothermal for 1.4%. Minister Şimşek announced that the share of renewable sources in electricity generation is expected to reach 57.5% by the end of 2026.
The Main Import Problem Lies in the Transportation Sector
An analysis prepared by Ember indicates that the transportation sector is now at the heart of Turkey's energy dependency. According to the report, Turkey's net energy import bill reached 47 billion dollars in 2025. Of this, 47% originated from petroleum, 43% from natural gas, and 10% from coal.
More strikingly, approximately 15 billion dollars of the energy import bill, or about one-third of the total, comes from road transportation. Therefore, every step taken to reduce petroleum consumption directly impacts energy imports and the current account deficit.
Electric Vehicles are Also Critical for the Economy
As of April 2026, over 420,000 electric vehicles are registered in traffic in Turkey. According to official projections, this number is expected to exceed 5 million by 2035.
According to Ember's calculations, every 1 million electric vehicles have the potential to reduce Turkey's annual fossil fuel imports by approximately 900 million dollars.
However, one of the most frequently voiced criticisms regarding electric vehicles concerns the source of the electricity used for charging. Nevertheless, May 2026 data presents a striking picture in this regard.
According to EMRA (Energy Market Regulatory Authority) data, 76,973,976 kWh of electricity was consumed at charging stations in Turkey in May. Of this, 32,358,941 kWh, or 42.04%, was supplied directly from charging stations using YEK-G certified green energy.
The remaining 44,615,035 kWh of electricity was supplied from the standard grid. However, since 72.3% of Turkey's electricity generation in the same month came from renewable sources, approximately 32.25 million kWh of this electricity can also be calculated as originating from renewable sources.
According to this calculation, approximately 64.61 million kWh of the electricity used for charging electric vehicles in May came from renewable sources. This corresponds to approximately 83.9% of the total consumption. In other words, a large portion of electric vehicles charged in Turkey are effectively powered by electricity generated from renewable sources.
Electric Vehicle Count Could Exceed 10 Million by 2040
EMRA's "Electric Vehicle and Charging Infrastructure Projection" report indicates that growth will accelerate in the coming years. According to the medium scenario, the number of electric vehicles in Turkey is expected to reach 2,295,927 in 2030, 5,629,051 in 2035, and 10,595,970 in 2040. In the high scenario, over 13 million electric vehicles are projected by 2040.
The charging infrastructure is also expected to grow at the same pace. According to the medium scenario, the total number of charging sockets will increase to 127,051 in 2030, 199,174 in 2035, and 328,054 in 2040.
Electricity consumption by electric vehicles is estimated to be in the range of 3.84-7.71 TWh in 2030 and 8.23-20.67 TWh in 2035.
According to Turkey's National Energy Plan, total electricity consumption is expected to reach 455.3 TWh in 2030 and 510.5 TWh in 2035. Therefore, even in the highest scenario, the share of electric vehicles in total electricity consumption is projected to remain at approximately 2% in 2030 and approximately 4% in 2035.
The SCT Anomaly Slows Down the Transformation
Despite the potential of electric vehicles to permanently reduce energy imports and thus the current account deficit, the implemented tax policies appear to contradict this goal. With a regulation published in the Official Gazette in 2025, the lowest Special Consumption Tax (SCT) rate for electric cars was increased from 10% to 25%. According to experts, tax incentives that would enable faster adoption of electric vehicles could make a significant long-term contribution to the current account deficit by reducing petroleum imports.
In European Union countries (especially in the examples of Norway, Germany, and France), the pace of electric vehicle transformation has been made permanent with incentives such as zero or very low taxes (VAT/SCT exemption), free parking, and free entry to city centers. In countries that have completed the transformation, like Norway, tax exemptions are gradually being reduced.
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