Offering high-tech sustainable mobility solutions with the vision of being “One Step Ahead in the Future of Mobility”, Karsan continues to play a leading role in the transformation of electric public transportation. Rapidly growing in Europe, Karsan continues to grow stronger in Romania, where the brand made the first export of its born electric e-ATA model. In this respect, Karsan started vehicle deliveries within the scope of the 56 units of 18-meter electric vehicle tender contract signed in Romania in August 2021 with a total value of 41 million euros.
Karsan undertakes all the maintenance for six years
Karsan, who won fully electric public transportation tenders opened by the Romanian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration and signed an agreement for the largest electric bus export of the Turkish automotive industry to date, started the delivery of 56 electric buses, 44 of which were to Timisoara Municipality and 12 to Brasov Municipality. Karsan, which will install 59 charging stations in the region -15 of which will be fast charging stations also undertakes the entire maintenance and garage operation of the vehicles for six years, asserts its claim of one stop solution for e-mobility. Karsan CEO Okan Baş, stating that 12 units of 18-meter e-ATA belonging to Brasov Municipality were delivered in the past months within the scope of the project, said that the charging station installations were also completed and that the vehicles would start to provide public transportation services in Brasov by 2023.
e-ATA buses will carry the people of Timisoara in the New Year
Stating that the first vehicles will be delivered at the end of December within the scope of the 44 units of 18-meter e-ATA contract done with Timisoara Municipality, Okan Baş said, “The vehicles will start to serve in 2023 European Capital of Culture Timisoara in the new year. We have also completed the installation of some of the charging stations within the scope of the agreement. Under the agreement with the Municipality of Timisoara, all vehicle deliveries and the installation of charging stations were scheduled to be completed in the last quarter of 2023. However, Timisoara Municipality wanted to offer its modern public transportation service to its citizens sooner than planned. So, we pushed our planning earlier in line with this demand. We aim to complete the delivery of the remaining vehicles and the installation of the charging stations in the first half of the new year.“
The goal is to be the pioneer of transformation in Europe
Emphasizing that Karsan is a Turkish brand that plays a pioneer role in the transformation of electric vehicles in Romania, Karsan CEO Okan Baş continued: “Like Karsan, Romania is leading the transformation of electric vehicles in Europe as well. This pioneering vision of Romania overlaps well with Karsan’s journey of electric transformation, which began 5 years ago. Romania, like France and Italy, is one of Karsan’s main target markets. Today, Karsan owns about one-third of the total electric vehicles in Romania. Moreover, among the manufacturers who has their bus production bases in Turkey, Karsan stands out as the Turkish brand with the most electric bus units in Romania. As of the end of 2022, while our electric vehicle number in Romania is 140, it will reach 180 in the middle of 2023 with the deliveries to be made to the Timisoara Municipality“.
Strong and high-quality brand image is developing
Okan Baş, who made statements about Karsan’s powerful growth in the European market, said, “Turkey’s industrial power, one of the most important bus manufacturers in Europe, is gaining the appreciation of the world. As Karsan, we go beyond being a commercial vehicle manufacturer. We have managed to become one of the leading brands of electric mobility with our advanced technology transportation solutions. Karsan, which received the Sustainable Bus of the Year award at the Sustainable Bus Awards with its 12-meter e-ATA in the field of sustainable transportation in Europe, serves the European people on the streets of European countries such as France, Italy, and Luxembourg. In addition, Karsan is the market leader in Europe in its own segments with e-JEST and e-ATAK. This is a result of Karsan’s strong and solution-oriented brand perception, and we continue to develop this perception.“
Full performance even at the fullest capacity
Named after Ata, which means the elders of the family in Turkish, e-ATA has various battery capacity options ranging from 198 kWh to 595 kWh and a fast-charging option with pantograph in the 18-meter class model. The electric hub motors of the Karsan e-ATA, which are positioned on the wheels, perform fully even at the fullest capacity with the maximum power of 500 kW offered in the 18-meter version. Despite the high range it offers, e-ATA does not compromise on passenger capacity, and it can carry more than 135 passengers with its 18-meter version.