Karsan to Be the First Brand in Self-Driving Public Transport in Airport Transfer.
Karsan, a company that is at the forefront of transforming public transportation to electric and autonomous in the global market, particularly in Europe, has signed a contract with RET (Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram), the primary public transport operator in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and DAM Shuttles to provide public transport services at Rotterdam Airport using the Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK driverless model developed in collaboration with ADASTEC, which has been in service globally since 2021. RET’s fleet will add two units of the Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK buses that will transport passengers and employees on a 5-kilometer route between Meijersplein metro station and Rotterdam Airport in November 2024.
Karsan CEO Okan Baş stated that they are leading the transformation of public transport in the world with the vision of being “One Step Ahead in the Future of Mobility”. “This signature also represents our company’s first export to the Netherlands. Autonomous e-ATAK is a model that has proven its success with awards and its services in the regions where it carries passengers. Owing to this project, we will be the first brand in the world to carry out airport transfers with an autonomous vehicle. Autonomous e-ATAK buses will pick up passengers from the Meijersplein metro station and transport them to the Rotterdam Airport. In the Netherlands, we maintain our attack on autonomous electric public transport, which we have initiated with Norway. We, as Karsan, will continue to pioneer the transformation in more countries.”
Dr. Ali Peker, CEO of ADASTEC, commented on the partnership, stating, “Our strategic partnership with Karsan plays a significant role in transforming public transport globally. Our ongoing cooperation since 2021 has allowed us to achieve many firsts in electric autonomous public transport. We blaze a trail as our vehicles, which will pick up their passengers from the Meijersplein metro station and take them to Rotterdam Airport, will serve at an airport for the first time in autonomous public transport. Under the leadership of RET, we are taking a crucial step towards lessening the environmental impact while offering our passengers a high comfort and environmentally friendly alternative. As ADASTEC, we will consistently shape the future of public transport worldwide through our autonomous solutions.”
Bringing future technologies to the present day and navigating the sector with pioneering attempts, Karsan continues to break new ground in global markets. Drawing attention with its innovations in the European electric public transport market, Karsan also keeps moving to do what has not been done before in self-driving transport. In this regard, Karsan, which has signed an agreement to export two Autonomous e-ATAK buses to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, will also execute the world’s first airport autonomous project with its autonomous business partner ADASTEC.
Karsan and ADASTEC, its business partner, have developed the world’s first serially produced Level 4 autonomous bus known as Autonomous e-ATAK. The Rotterdam’s public transport operator, RET, will receive two of these buses as the first export to the Netherlands in November. Road tests of the Autonomous e-ATAK are slated to be completed by the end of December, and the buses will start offering services on the route from January 2025. Karsan CEO, Okan Baş, highlighted that they are leading the global public transport industry with their vision of being “One Step Ahead in the Future of Mobility.” He emphasized that the export to the Netherlands is a significant milestone for the company. The Autonomous e-ATAK has already achieved great success with awards and services in the regions where it carries passengers. Through this project, Karsan will be the first brand in the world to carry out airport transfers with an autonomous vehicle. The 5-kilometer route between the Meijersplein metro station and Rotterdam Airport will be covered autonomously, allowing passengers to enjoy this short trip with their luggage. Dr. Ali Peker, CEO of ADASTEC, expressed his happiness with the project and stated that their innovative approach and production quality, combined with ADASTEC’s technological know-how in the autonomous driving software platform, have set new standards in the sector. He believes that this project in the Netherlands is essential as it demonstrates how autonomous public transport can be effectively used in the airport environment. ADASTEC and Karsan are committed to building a better world, not only for today but also for future generations, and this success story is evidence of their commitment to sustainable mobility.
Karsan’s Autonomous e-ATAK has gained 67 thousand km of autonomous driving experience by serving on different routes in the USA, Norway, Turkey, Romania, and France. Okan Baş, a representative of Karsan, stated that the Autonomous e-ATAK is the first vehicle in Europe to provide autonomous public transport services in the city. The vehicle has been serving Stavanger, Norway since 2022, and the route has recently been updated and expanded to enable the first self-driving vehicle to pass through the tunnel. In addition, Karsan continues to lead the transformation in autonomous electric public transport in the Netherlands, which they initiated with Norway. According to Okan Baş, Karsan will continue to lead the transformation in more countries by maintaining its attack on autonomous electric public transport.
