Starting an EV charging business in Turkey: licences, network operators and cost items (2026)

Short answer: In Turkey, selling EV charging commercially requires being part of the network of a charging network operator licensed by EPDK, the energy market regulator. The person or company that installs and runs the station (the charging station operator) does not need its own licence; it signs a contract with a licensed network operator and works within its network. Anyone who wants to build their own network needs a charging network operator licence from EPDK. Since the amendment of 23.03.2026, private stations without commercial activity and units installed only for the owner's own needs no longer have to join a charging network. Prices are free but charged per kWh, and no extra fees such as connection or session start fees may be added.

This article is a general summary of Turkey's Charging Service Regulation and its 23.03.2026 amendment; it is not legal advice. Before investing, check the current rules on EPDK's website and with a specialist.

Two roles: network operator and station operator

• Charging network operator: a legal entity licensed by EPDK. It connects stations to its network and provides the app, payment, invoicing, call centre and software for users. It can sign roaming agreements with other networks. Licence fees are set by EPDK decisions and may change.
• Charging station operator: the person or company that provides the site, installs the charger and runs it (for example a hotel, shopping centre, fuel station, car park, residential complex or workplace). It needs no licence but signs a contract with a network operator, and since the amendment it can use its own brand alongside the network's brand.

Selling energy to electric vehicles commercially without being connected to a charging network breaches the regulation; the distribution company reports such cases to the authority.

Who does not have to join a network?

• Private charging stations without commercial activity
• Charging units installed by users only for their own needs (for example a home wallbox, or chargers a company installs for its own fleet without charging a fee)

Main rules after the 2026 amendment

• Pricing: the charging fee is free but applied per kWh, and the invoice shows the energy delivered. No extra fees such as connection or session start may be charged.
• Price differences: at public stations, prices may differ only between AC units, DC units and mobile stations; discounts by location and time are allowed. The price for users with a loyalty contract may be at most 25% above the lowest price.
• DC charging limit: charging may be ended, with prior notice, for vehicles whose battery is at 85% or more.
• Payment: on motorways of the General Directorate of Highways, at least one newly added DC unit of 50 kW or more must accept bank/credit card or contactless payment (from 01.07.2026), with no extra fee.
• Information: location, sockets, power, price and payment methods of public stations are reported to an open-access platform.
• Service quality and data security: network operators run a 24-hour ISO 18295 certified call centre and software systems in line with TS ISO/IEC 27001.
• Grid connection: a charging station's connection request is treated as a consumption facility; the distribution company may not refuse except in the cases listed in the legislation.
• Permits: stations operate under the rules for business opening and operating permits, and operators may take measures against non-charging vehicles occupying the bays.

Opening a station step by step

1. Site and demand: traffic, parking time (long at shopping centres and hotels, short at the roadside), nearby stations.
2. AC or DC: AC (7–22 kW) where cars park for long; DC fast charging on routes and for short stops.
3. Electrical infrastructure: is the existing connection capacity enough? DC stations often need a capacity increase and sometimes a transformer; an application is made to the distribution company.
4. Choosing a network operator: commission or revenue share, number of app users, roaming networks, supported chargers (OCPP version) and reporting.
5. Choosing the charger: the OCPP version supported by the network (1.6J or 2.0.1), an MID-certified meter, payment options, warranty and service.
6. Design and installation: electrical design, cables, protection (RCD, breakers, surge protection), groundwork and concrete, signage and bay marking.
7. Permits and commissioning: business permit, registration in the network, testing and reporting to the open-access platform.

Cost items

Amounts vary widely with the charger, power and site, so we do not give figures here; ask for these items separately in quotes:

• Charger (AC or DC, number of sockets, power)
• Connection capacity increase, transformer if needed, and distribution company fees
• Cables, distribution board and protective devices
• Groundwork, plinth, concrete and landscaping
• Electrical design and installation labour
• The network operator's software/subscription fee or revenue share
• Energy cost (commercial tariff)
• Maintenance, service and insurance

On the revenue side, what matters is how much the station is used (utilisation) and the margin per kWh sold.

What ENGN can do

We supply Bemis AC chargers and 40–200 kW DC fast chargers (DC on request for a quote), and in Bursa we take on the electrical infrastructure from the site survey and designed installation up to the grid connection. Choosing a network operator and handling licences remain the operator's responsibility.

• → DC fast chargers
• → Charging stations for apartments and workplaces
• → EV charging rules for buildings in Turkey 2026
• → What is OCPP?
• → AC vs DC charging
• → Public EV charging prices in Turkey
• → EV charger installation in Bursa