Solved: PN #626 -- Begler Electric Car, 2017

[4popoid]

A project by Magna Steyr?

[pnegyesi]

not from Austria or neighbouring countries or countries behind the former Iron Curtain

[4popoid]

Oh, I think I misunderstood your "sort of" reply.  Is this a project of Imza (Jetpa Motors) of Turkey?

[pnegyesi]

you got the country right, but not the project itself. As I am in Istanbul right now I feel inclined to give you a lock for 24 hours

[4popoid]

Thanks for the lock Pal.  I just hope that I can do better than I was able to do with PN #614 (SAIPA Hirkani).  At this point I'm not too sure that I will.

For lack of a better approach, I'm assuming that this might be a project of one of the six finalists in the EV competition sponsored by the Turkish government.  Some of the finalists appear to be limited to buses and trucks, so that narrows it a bit, but I still can't locate any pictures if the finalist's proposals, so I'm really shooting in the dark.  Still I'll take a shot, an see if anything falls out of the night sky.

One of the finalists is Karsan, who has a working agreement with Hyundai.  Hyundai and KIA are corporate siblings.  From the start of this puzzle I thought that the puzzle vehicle bore something of a resemblance to KIA.  Therefore might the puzzle car be a project proposal by: Karsan?

Hope you are enjoying your time in Istanbul.   

[pnegyesi]

I do not think it was a participant and it is not one of the better known Turkish vehicle manufacturers.
A hint (okay, this won't help much, but still a hint): my wife used to live in the city where the company is located (and it is not Istanbul or Ankara)

Still locked

[4popoid]

Thanks for the hint Pal.  I have no idea where your wife used to live, but if I can rule out Istanbul and Ankara, that eliminates several auto builders.

In addition to the two largest cities, we have ruled out Karsan from Bursa, the fourth largest city.  The city we skipped over is Izmir, home of the Çenberci Group, an automobile manufacturer and affiliate of Suzuki.  Previously I said that I thought the puzzle car resembled a Kia product.  I also think the puzzle car has several styling cues resembling some Suzuki models.  So, might the puzzle car be an: EV project proposal by the Çenberci Group of Izmir, Turkey? 

[pnegyesi]

not from Izmir or from an established automotive company. One last try before I unlock

[4popoid]

EV project proposal by: Hema Endüstri A.S. of Çerkezköy, Turkey?

[pnegyesi]

no, open for all

[4popoid]

Is this a proposal by an academic organization?

[pnegyesi]

There are very strong connections to universities, but the building entity is a commercial venture

[4popoid]

Time to renew my frustration with this one.  Istanbul, Ankara, Ismir and Bursa have been eliminated.  Is this proposal by an entity located in a city on the European side of Turkey (west of the Bosporus/Dardanelles)?     

[pnegyesi]

It is on the Asian side

[4popoid]

I can't seem to tie the proposal to any city, but might this be the project to produce what has been described as "Turkey's first electric car".  The proposed vehicle, supposedly now in the prototype stage, is called the Etox E-V, and is proposal by Malkoçlar Otomotiv, in conjunction with METU (Middle East Technical University).

[pnegyesi]

nothing to do with any of these entities

[Oguerrerob]

Begler Electric Car 2017 from Eskisehir, Turkey

[targhediferro]

Sorry, I had an idea, but it had yet been overcome by other answers I hadn't noticed.

[4popoid]

You've got it Oguerrerob, and here's the picture.

[pnegyesi]

Technically this should have been in the BH by now, so Oguerrerob gets two points for a correct answer! Congratulations!

[Oguerrerob]

Thank you!