Motorcycles Overtake Cars in Türkiye’s Urban Transport Shift

Türkiye is witnessing a dramatic change in urban transportation trends. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), in July 2025 the number of newly registered motorcycles surpassed cars for the first time, reaching 114,008 units. Total motorcycle registrations have now exceeded 6.7 million, marking a 6.5-fold increase in 23 years, compared to a 3.7-fold rise in cars over the same period. Motorcycles now account for 20.8% of all vehicles in the country.

Vehicle Fleet Hits 32.6 Million

As of July 2025, Türkiye’s total registered motor vehicles reached 32,618,554. Cars still make up the largest share at 51.7%, but motorcycles follow closely with 20.8%, highlighting a long-term structural change in mobility preferences.

July 2025: Motorcycles Lead Registrations

Out of 257,471 new registrations in July:

• Motorcycles: 44.3%

• Cars: 41.3%

• Light trucks: 10.9%

• Trucks: 1.4%

• Tractors: 1.3%

Compared to June, motorcycle registrations increased by 23.6%, while car registrations rose 47.1%. Still, motorcycles overtook cars in total numbers: 114,008 vs 106,407.

2002–2025: Long-Term Transformation

TÜİK’s long-term data shows:

In 2002, there were 4.4 cars per motorcycle; by 2025, that ratio dropped to 2.5.

First 7 Months of 2025: One in Three New Vehicles is a Motorcycle

Between January–July 2025, Türkiye registered 1.35 million new vehicles, of which:

• Motorcycles: 489,038 (~36%)

• Cars: 614,248

This means 1 in every 3 new vehicles is now a motorcycle.

Second-Hand Market: Cars Still Dominate

In July, 1,015,974 vehicle transfers were processed at notaries:

• Cars: 66.9%

• Light trucks: 14.2%

• Motorcycles: 12.5%

This indicates that motorcycles are gaining traction not only in new sales but also in the used vehicle market.

Fuel Preferences Shift: EVs on the Rise

From January–July 2025, fuel preferences for newly registered cars were:

• 45.6% gasoline

• 27.0% hybrid

• 17.2% electric

• 9.2% diesel

• 1.0% LPG

Electric and hybrid vehicles together reached 44% share, while diesel and LPG continue to decline. Among Türkiye’s total 16.8 million cars, 33.2% are diesel, 30.9% LPG, and 30.6% gasoline.

Most Popular Car Colors in 2025

Among cars registered in the first seven months of 2025:

• 40.2% gray

• 24.4% white

• 13.8% black

• 11.6% blue

• 4.5% green

• 3.9% red

Other colors accounted for less than 2%.