From groundbreaking electric and hydrogen-powered buses to next-gen battery platforms, AI-enabled mobility, and innovative drivetrain technology, UITP 2025 underscored how commercial vehicle OEMs in the public transport space are accelerating toward a zero-emission, data-rich future.

Truck-maker to also open new service centre in Gyeonggi Province.

The restructuring reflects broader trends in the German automotive sector, where legacy OEMs face rising competition, high wage costs, higher energy prices and a growing urgency to adapt to the post-ICE era.

The company commemorated the establishment of its heavy truck factory – now also its headquarters – in 1955, since which date it has built more than 1.25 million trucks and 2 million cabs.

Speaking with T&BB at the UITP event, Karsan CEO Okan Baş said that the decision to launch the e‑ATA LE reflects a strategic move to expand the company’s e-mobility offering and respond to public transport authorities' growing focus on fleet electrification, energy efficiency, and service flexibility.

In the meantime, prototype development and pilot manufacturing continue as the first pilot fleets are scheduled for deployment in Hamburg in August 2025 in partnership with the German transport operator, Hamburger Hochbahn.

At the summit, Iveco announced a strategic partnership with ABB focused on high-power charging infrastructure for bus depots and opportunity charging hubs, aimed at delivering turnkey charging solutions for operators. This agreement complements the roll-out of their E‑Way fleet.

We spoke to representatives from the company who told us that the factory in Katrineholm had been relocated to its HQ in Stockholm, signifying an organisational restructuring. The company also showed us a next-generation CO2 sensor in its vehicle fire suppression system.

Though the current rollout focuses on electric school buses in North America, the scalable and standards-based design positions the solution for future deployment across Europe and other markets.

Perhaps more significantly for Anadolu Isuzu’s international ambitions, 2025 marked its formal entry into the Saudi Arabian public transport market with a distributor agreement with New East General Trading.

These buses will be offered in both battery‑electric (e.City Gold) and hydrogen fuel‑cell (H2.City Gold) variants. Series production is expected in 2026 at its Vila Nova de Gaia plant in Portugal.

On display at the 2025 UITP Summit in Hamburg were two eAxles, a central drive unit for the midibus segment and a low-floor eAxle with independent suspension for heavy-duty transit bus transport segments.