Turkey's new domestically produced car will lower the country's dependency on oil imports, Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Isik said Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference in Turkey's northwestern city of Izmit, the minister said most cars in the market consume around five to 10 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) is leading the project to produce Turkey's first car.
'Our aim is to develop a car that can travel 100 kilometers with only two liters of gasoline or diesel,' Isik said.
Isik pointed to the low energy consumption of the car, and said 'This will decrease Turkey's dependency on oil, reduce Turkish household's fuel budget and lower air pollution in major cities to a great extent.'
He also elaborated on energy sources that the Turkish branded car will use, and emphasized that it will be able to travel to all parts of Turkey where gasoline, diesel or LPG is available.
'Imagine a 15-17 kilowatt-hour battery, which you can charge in the evening and then travel up to 100 kilometers on a full charge. The charging process will cost around 2-2.5 Turkish liras. We will also place a small generator at the back of the car, which will work with gasoline, diesel or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). When the battery of the car weakens, the generator starts up, and it can both feed the electric engine and charge the battery,' Isik explained.
The minister said the first Turkish-made car will hit the country's roads before 2020.
Reporting by Kadir Yildiz
Writing by Ovunc Kutlu
Anadolu Agency
ovunc.kutlu@aa.com.tr