A new era is unfolding in the automotive industry where vehicles are transforming into wheeled computers. A historic step has been taken in this transformation to reduce Türkiye's foreign dependency. Turkish technology giant Karel, celebrating its 40th anniversary, has developed Türkiye's first domestic Android-based in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system together with its subsidiary Daiichi. This high-tech digital brain, now in mass production at modern facilities in Ankara, has started being used in Ford Trucks' flagship F-MAX tractors in the heavy commercial vehicle segment.
The global automotive sector is rapidly evolving towards a software-defined vehicle (SDV) architecture rather than mechanical hardware. A vehicle's in-cabin technology today carries as much strategic importance as engine performance. In the past, such complex electronic infotainment systems were entirely imported from Far Eastern or European suppliers. However, this new project, realised through the engineering synergy of Karel and Daiichi, proves that Türkiye is one of the rare ecosystems capable of end-to-end design and production in automotive electronics.
Truck-Specific Navigation and Seamless Connectivity
The digital needs of heavy commercial vehicles are much more complex than those of standard passenger cars. Karel and Daiichi engineers developed a custom system for the Ford Trucks F-MAX, focusing on these challenging dynamics.
The domestic Android Multimedia System (IVI), which completely transforms the user experience, is equipped with the following critical technical features:
- Large, High-Resolution Display: The 12-inch screen integrated into the F-MAX's modern cabin architecture offers the driver an anti-glare, high-resolution interface.
- Heavy Commercial Vehicle Navigation: The navigation infrastructure calculates narrow streets inaccessible to massive trucks, tonnage limits, and bridge heights, creating safe routes specifically for heavy vehicles.
- Wireless Integration: Drivers can instantly integrate their smartphones into the system thanks to wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
- Driving Safety with Voice Commands: It is vital for a driver operating a multi-ton vehicle to keep their eyes on the road. The advanced voice command assistant integrated into the system minimises the need for the touchscreen, maximising driving safety.
Infrastructure Competing with China: Major Modernisation in Ankara
The hardware production of this complex digital system is carried out at Karel's facilities in Ankara. Within the scope of the project, the company completely renewed its production infrastructure compliant with automotive norms and commissioned advanced technology assembly lines.
The quality expectations of global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are extremely stringent. With its new infrastructure, Karel successfully meets the zero-defect and full traceability requirements essential for high-precision electronics production. Moreover, the greatest strategic advantage of this facility is its ability to produce at cost levels and with flexible scalability that can directly compete with China in automotive electronics.
Strategic Assessments from Industry Leaders
The official opening ceremony for the project, which began mass production in 2025, was celebrated on March 10, 2026, with a visit by Ford Otosan officials to the production centre in Ankara. Industry leaders speaking at the ceremony highlighted the project's significance for Türkiye.
Armağan Hazar, Director of Supply Chain & Cost Management at Ford Trucks, stated that they are advancing the customer experience with in-vehicle technologies, using the following words:
"This Android-based system developed in collaboration with Karel and Daiichi is a concrete indicator of domestic engineering power and production capability meeting global automotive standards. These strong supplier collaborations are the backbone of our competitive product strategy."
Karel Genel Müdürü Altay Doğu ise 40. yıllarında böyle bir projeye imza atmanın gururunu yaşadıklarını vurguladı:
"Thanks to our renewed production infrastructure and world-class assembly lines, we can offer technologies developed in Türkiye directly to the global automotive sector."
Projenin yazılım ve mühendislik ayağını yürüten, dünyanın önde gelen markalarına Tier-1 (Birinci Seviye) tedarikçi olarak hizmet veren Daiichi’nin Genel Müdürü Ömer Tunç Akdeniz de Yazılım Tanımlı Araç vizyonuna dikkat çekti:
"This project is a strong indicator of our engineering and production competence. At Daiichi, we are focused on the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) transformation and continue to develop software-oriented platforms."
Conclusion and Future Vision
This project is seen as a strategic move far beyond a simple screen supply. The Karel and Daiichi partnership proves that Türkiye has become a centre that not only assembles but also produces the brains and software of vehicles, exporting them to the global market. This transformation of the domestic IVI system, starting with heavy commercial vehicles, will create a very strong technological reference for passenger cars, defence industry vehicles, and autonomous systems in the coming years.
Industry Background Information:
Karel, Türkiye’nin en büyük elektronik ve haberleşme devlerinden biridir (Şu an Doğan Holding bünyesindedir). Karel yönetimi, otomotiv elektroniği ve araç içi multimedya (IVI) pazarına güçlü bir giriş yapmak amacıyla, bu alanda küresel çapta yazılım ve Ar-Ge yapan Daiichi firmasını geçtiğimiz yıllarda satın alarak kendi bağlı ortaklığı haline getirmiştir.
