BYD opens Ankara lithium‑battery plant, targeting global exports

Chinese automaker BYD cancelled its planned car‑manufacturing facility in Turkey and redirected its investment toward energy‑storage technology. In partnership with Solinved, the company is preparing a lithium‑battery production unit at the Polatlı, Ankara, Core‑less Organized Industrial Zone. The plant, slated to start operations in August, will have an annual output of 5 GWh and a total investment of about 250 million TL, with the first phase funded at 100 million TL.

The 2,500 m² indoor facility will produce battery packs, container‑type storage systems, electric‑vehicle charging stations, solar inverters and driver panels. BYD intends to export the locally manufactured products to overseas markets, positioning the site as a hub for Turkish‑origin energy‑storage solutions.

The project is expected to create several thousand jobs and marks a strategic shift for BYD from vehicle assembly to battery and storage system manufacturing in the region.