Türkiye, one of Europe’s leading bus manufacturing hubs, is strengthening its position in autonomous public transportation as domestic manufacturers expand their electric and driverless vehicle projects into international markets, according to automotive expert Levent Köprülü.
Alongside global bus manufacturers operating in the country, Turkish brands have increased their presence in Europe and the United States through locally developed vehicles and advanced mobility technologies.
Karsan has become one of the leading companies in autonomous public transportation with its Level-4 Autonomous e-ATAK, operating in real traffic since 2021.
The company later expanded its autonomous portfolio with the Autonomous e-JEST, which has now entered the U.S. market.
In partnership with ADASTEC, Damera, and Beep, Karsan launched passenger operations in Atlanta under the city’s first autonomous public transportation pilot project, ATL Spoke.
The autonomous e-JEST provides free transportation between MARTA West End Station and the Atlanta BeltLine Southwest Trail, improving access to healthcare facilities, restaurants, educational institutions, and social venues.
Another Turkish manufacturer, Otokar, has entered the European market with its Level-4+ autonomous e-Centro city bus.
The vehicle has begun passenger operations in Mercamadrid (Madrid) as part of the Mobilities for EU Project, supporting Europe’s sustainable, connected, and safe mobility strategy.
Developed entirely by Otokar, the e-Centro successfully completed more than 600 autonomous driving tests after passing 148 different test scenarios conducted by TÜV Rheinland in Hungary.
With this deployment, Spain became the first European country to operate Otokar’s autonomous vehicle in public transportation.
Anadolu Isuzu is also advancing autonomous mobility through its partnership with Leo Drive, transforming its Novociti Volt electric bus into a Level-3 autonomous vehicle platform.
The vehicle has successfully completed road testing.
Another Turkish manufacturer, Temsa, is also actively developing autonomous mobility technologies.
