If you're renting a car in Türkiye this year, chances are increasingly high it'll come with a plug. New industry data shows electric and hybrid vehicles made up just over half of all new car sales in the country in the first nine months of 2026 — 326,035 units out of 627,977 total sales, or a 52% share.
The numbers, compiled by Anadolu Agency from the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD), show hybrids leading the charge with 204,956 sales and a market share that climbed from 27.8% to 32.6% year-over-year. Fully electric cars sold 120,329 units, rising to 19.3% of the market once extended-range models are counted — up from 18% last year. September alone saw 15,128 EVs sold, a 17.1% jump on the same month in 2025.
While electrified vehicles gained ground, the overall market shrank. Total car sales fell 15.45% compared with the same period last year, and light commercial vehicle sales dropped 5.12% to 175,488 units.
The big loser is diesel. Sales collapsed 40.7% to just 34,520 cars, with diesel's share sliding from 7.8% to 5.5%. Industry experts attribute this to manufacturers winding down diesel production worldwide, meaning fewer new diesel models reach the market at all, plus the impact of rising diesel prices globally. Petrol is also fading gradually — down 23.5% in volume and slipping from 45.5% to 41.2% of sales. One surprise winner: LPG-powered cars, up 44.7%, though from a small base of under 9,000 units.
For travellers, the takeaway is practical. Rental fleets tend to follow the new-car market, so expect more hybrid and electric options at Turkish rental counters — great news if you're watching fuel costs on a long drive along the Turquoise Coast or across Cappadocia. If you do book an EV, it's worth planning charging stops in advance, as coverage is stronger in Istanbul, Ankara and coastal tourist corridors than in remote eastern regions. And if you specifically want a traditional petrol or diesel car, mention it when booking — availability is shrinking as fleets electrify.
