The Turkish manufacturer announced “steady growth” of its market share in Europe, with nearly three hundred vehicles delivered to Italy last year and three hundred to be sold in France by the end of the current year.

Under the agreement, Otokar will assemble complete Mercedes-Benz Conecto city buses (both solo and articulated versions) at its Sakarya plant, with Daimler Buses supplying all major components and specific production equipment.

The company completed comprehensive testing of a Level 4 autonomous ‘e-Centro’ midi bus carried out by TÜV Rheinland at its “Smart City” test track in Hungary.

Four years ago, Kerem Erman joined Turkish manufacturer Otokar as assistant general manager for commercial. Since then, the company’s revenues have increased “threefold”, Erman said during a recent conversation with Truck & Bus Builder.

Available as a 9-tonne, 11-tonne, or 15-tonne truck, the new Atlas range is fitted with driver and passenger airbags, which Otokar claims is a first for its segment in the Turkish market.

These batteries will be ZEN LFP manufactured in Chasseneuil-du-Poitou in France and shipped to Turkey where the coach manufacturing is set to take place.

The Turkish manufacturer, which is a subsidiary of the Koç industrial conglomerate, held a special ceremony at its plant in Sakarya to commemorate the milestones.

Under the themes of “energy transition and sustainable mobility”, the European public transport industry met to demonstrate its new sustainable products/technologies as the sector looks to rapidly decarbonise to meet climate pledges outlined in the European Green Deal.

Both truck models boast cataphoresis chassis coatings for corrosion protection, front-rear disc brakes, adjustable driver seats with air suspension, and advanced driver assistance systems such as lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and electronic stability control.

The Turkish manufacturer presented a 12-metre fuel cell electric bus, a battery electric coach, a self-driving prototype bus, and a new telematics system called 'BusMonitor'.

Since 2010, Mauri Bus System has represented Otokar and sold its vehicles in Italy.

The first driver-supervised road tests are taking place in Israel with an ‘eCentro’ midibus supplied by Otokar.

Deliveries of the buses - a mixture of diesel and CNG vehicles worth nearly EUR34.2m altogether - are slated to begin in the second half of this year and will run into the first half of 2024. 

The 30 buses delivered recently are from the ‘Vectio U’ 9-metre intercity range and will be used to transport personnel working for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Report written following the latest FIAA exhibition, a bus and coach show held between 18-21 October in Madrid.

Since the first installation in 2006 – a Euro-IV standard ISB 4.5 in a ‘Sultan’ midi-bus – Cummins diesel and natural gas engines have been offered in the majority of Otokar’s city and inter-city buses and its tourist coaches.

Investments to restructure and expand production and in new zero emission technologies at Otokar leads to more jobs at Sakarya, Turkey in 2022

Otokar unveils full electric 18.75-metre articulated version of e-Kent at Busworld Turkey

The e-Centro, Otokar states, is a completely new fully electric mini-bus available in two lengths of 6-metres and 6.6 metres. The 6.6m version has capacity for up to 32 passengers with low entry access through centrally located doors.

The components division of DAF Trucks N.V. is set to supply 100 PACCAR MX-11 engines to Turkish bus manufacturer Otokar. The Euro VI engines will be fitted to 100 Otokar Metrobuses for operation in Istanbul.

The Turkish commercial vehicle manufacturer achieved revenues of TRY4.5bn and net operating profits of TRY1.76bn.

Otokar's revenues amounted to TRY2.7bn while net profits totalled TRY516.4m for the year-to-date.

The buses will be delivered by the end of 2022 for service in Amman following a USD32m tender financed by the EBRD.

Production of the MSG 90.6 line of driver seats, which will be fitted in the Crossway range of Iveco buses built at Otokar's Sakarya-based HQ, began in August at Grammer's facility in Bursa, Turkey.