Development Togg CEO: "The car itself is no longer the focus"

The first Turkish car, the Togg T10X, is about to be launched on the market. The manufacturer does not take BMW, Mercedes and the like as a model - but rather Apple. Togg CEO Gürcan Karakas explains why.

With the Turkish provider Togg, a new manufacturer will enter the German market from 2025. The Turkish manufacturer aims to tap into new customer bases with its first electric car and a comprehensive digital ecosystem. Former Bosch manager and current Togg CEO, Gürcan Karakas, explains how this is supposed to work.

Mr. Karakas, you stated that Togg does not build cars, but rather "Smart Devices." And you refer to your customers as "Users" or "Toggers". Please explain this to us.

Karakas: From our perspective, the car itself is no longer the focus but is increasingly becoming part of an ecosystem. What is crucial are services and solutions that are mainly based on software applications. We are not merely building a car but a smart device. Once you use this intelligent mobility device for a week, you won't want to drive anything else. With this device, you can truly do everything.

What does this mean specifically?

At the core of our efforts are always our users. We aim to create a living space that meets the needs of comfort, safety, health, and entertainment. In fact, for example, our app Trumore and many services can be used without owning a Togg. We are building a mobility ecosystem on a digital platform where we can integrate all our products and services, including the concept of "Smart Living," which provides intelligent living solutions. Continuous engagement with startups plays an important role for us in inspiring Togg with constant new innovations.

Why should customers pay 50,000 euros for a car from a newcomer from Turkey?

The decision to spend 50,000 euros on a vehicle is less about the origin of the brand and more about the strength of the brand. For example, if we look at Apple products, they actually come from China. 90% of the profit and price of a product is attributed to the brand and intellectual property. By interacting with our users, we can keep our brand up-to-date, implement changes quickly, and generate our own ideas. If we were only presenting ourselves as a car today, we could only compete on price. We need to change the perspective of the buyer and involve users more in the world of comfort, services, and personalized features.

You are planning Togg's market entry in Germany for 2025. Why so late, as the T10X is already due for its first model update?

Togg is a "Smart Device" that is constantly updated with "Over-the-Air Updates." No one has to wait for a refreshed version with innovations after three to four years. Therefore, even when entering the German market, we will still be very new. Entering a specific market is easy. However, staying there, gaining market share sustainably, and being consistently present is the greater challenge.

How do they plan to achieve this?

The organization evolves over time, which requires patience and experience. To understand how users think and act in Germany and Europe, we founded Togg Europa GmbH in Stuttgart in May 2021. We cannot simply copy and paste what we already have. That would not work. Therefore, we have opted for a careful and well-timed market entry. The image of the automotive industry will look completely different in eight to ten years at the latest. Those who approach this with such thinking and planning and implement it will have an advantage.