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.

The company is set to deliver a BrightDrop Zevo 400 and BrightDrop Zevo 600 electric van by Q4 this year. The vehicles will be produced at GM’s CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada.

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.

Higer completed the delivery of 780 Higer Buses worth USD55m to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the “Belt and Road Initiative”, signifying the largest ever bus export from China to Saudi Arabia.

The 69-seater buses also feature 30 USB charging ports, built-in WIFI and air conditioning along with a total capacity of 97 passengers.

The order, valued at approximately USD 60.9 million, includes 50, Volvo 9600 luxury sleeper coaches and 500, Eicher Intercity 13.5m2 AC and non-AC sleeper coaches.

The Enviro400EVs are fitted with roof-mounted charging rails that allow their 472kWh battery system to be topped up from pantographs installed at the Harrogate bus station.

A European customer has now taken five vehicles, and Quantron’s CEO, Michael Perschke, said its orders amount to up to 100 units.

The company has started deliveries of its ATM 28T Full Elec electric yard tractors to Amazon in the United States, an order comprising 329 vehicles. The vehicles are produced at Gaussin’s manufacturing facility in Saint-Vallier, France.

Shenu Agarwal, MD and CEO, Ashok Leyland, said: "We are immensely proud to have secured these orders from the Indian Army. The Defence business has been a strong pillar of growth for us, and this win further establishes our leadership in Defence mobility vehicles business."

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.

The X-treme material has been specially developed for commercial vehicle applications that are subject to very high mechanical stress. The material is suitable as a side wall element due to its resistance to hailstorms and resistance to UV radiation.