Turkey-based conglomerate Habaş is planning to start producing electric and hybrid vehicles at the former Honda plant in Kocaeli, in collaboration with a Chinese automaker, according to local media reports. In 2021, the Japanese automotive manufacturer Honda divested the plant, which was subsequently acquired by Habaş.
According to local sources, the company has expressed the intention to establish a new hybrid and electric car line. The development of the car models will be handled in Turkey, encompassing every stage from the initial design phase to manufacturing. Habaş had previously announced that the plant would produce trucks, and there have been discussions of a potential cooperation with automakers such as Nissan and Mercedes.