Karsan is entering the Dutch market for the first time after signing an agreement to export two level 4 autonomous e-Atak electric buses in Q4 2024, to Rotterdam-based public transport operator RET (Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram).

The first batch of e-Jest vehicles has now been delivered, serving as the first right-hand drive vehicles in the history of the brand.

Karsan has delivered the first four of 24, 18-metre e-ATA buses to Italian public transport operator, TPER. These buses are set to operate in the city of Bologna.

Karsan has signed a distributorship agreement with Damera in the U.S.

The exhibition, which took place from the 6th to the 7th of September, attracted over 150 exhibitors involved in low-carbon mobility. The exhibition had a small collection of companies dedicated to the commercial vehicle market sector.

Following the framework sale of the e-Jest electric shuttle bus in the right-hand drive market in Japan earlier this year - Karsan is now exploring entry into the UK market with first deliveries planned for 2024.

Speaking with Deniz Cetin, Chief Commercial Officer at Karsan Automotive & Board Member at Group Companies at Cenex (2023), T&BB was informed that Karsan has bid on autonomous electric bus contracts (tenders) in Spain, Israel, Qatar and Canada. Deniz confirmed that Karsan recently delivered an autonomous bus to Istanbul which comes off the back of two successful autonomous bus trials in Norway and the USA.

The company announced that after signing an agreement to supply an Italian public procurement company with 80 e-Atak buses in 2021, it is set to provide another 320 electric minibuses, over the course of the next 18 months. The agreement covers Karsan’s six-metre e-Jest electric bus and the eight-metre e-Atak.

Anadolu Automobil Romania (AAR) is the official distributor of Karsan vehicles in Romania - by the end of the year, the number of Karsan vehicles in the country will reach 240, operating in 15 cities.

Okan Baş, CEO of Karsan at UITP in Barcelona, Spain, announced the company had sold its 700th electric vehicle very recently and that now, with a presence in 20 countries, its goal in 2023 is to double its e-bus sales of 330 units in 2022.

The CME Solutions report, confirmed 113 e-Atak registrations in Europe in 2022, growing its European electric midibus market share from 30% in 2021 to 40% in 2022.

Karsan is entering the Japanese market for the first time after signing a distribution agreement with ALTECH Co Ltd, to deliver its electric minibus (the 6-metre e-Jest) to Japanese consumers by the end of 2023.