Turkey: Otokar introduces Akrep II, first indigenous electric armored vehicle.

Turkish defense company and automotive manufacturer Otokar has introduced the country's first domestically developed electric-powered armored combat vehicle, which will be tested and ready for purchase within a year, the company's chairman said Wednesday, April 24.

Akrep II (Illustration source: Otokar)

Speaking at a news conference at the Otokar compound in northwestern Turkey's Sakarya province, Chairman Serdar Görgüç said that the Akrep II will be Turkey's first step in electric-powered, hybrid and autonomous military vehicle technologies. The new generation vehicle will be first displayed after all the configuration works are completed at the 14th International Defense Industry Fair to be held at Tüyap Fair and Congress Center in Istanbul between April 30 and May 3.

Noting that the vehicle was designed with both electric and diesel motors, Görgüç said that an all-electric version will be introduced and that the diesel version will be ready for purchase within one year.

"The range of the vehicle which has places for a battery in both its front and back can be also increased with additional batteries according to the customer requests," Görgüç said. He said that the vehicle takes three hours to recharge after the batteries are completely drained. "The range of the vehicle will be about 250 kilometers (155 miles), while it can be increased with energy-intensive new batteries," Görgüç said.