Autonomous bus in Paris: Revolution in public transport from September!

Autonomous bus in Paris: Revolution in public transport from September!

Imagine you get on a bus that drives all by yourself! Sounds futuristic? Is it! Karsan, a Turkish manufacturer of commercial vehicles, brings this scenario to Paris with its autonomous bus, the Karsan Autonomous E-Atak, to Paris. In collaboration with the Paris Transport Society Ratp (Régie Autonomous of Parisien's transport), this 8 meter long bus will run on an approximately 4.5 km long route between Sucy-Bonneuil Rer and Thiais-Carrefour de la Résistance. And best of all: the company takes place under real urban traffic conditions.

The tests of the bus are currently in the final phase and are carried out by the independent French certification body Utac. The end of the tests is planned for the end of August. The e-Atak will show a level 4 autonomy based on software of the technology partner Adastec. This is a significant step in the integration of autonomous vehicles into public transport, which Karsan clearly demonstrates with this project in Paris.

successful test phase in Germany

But the Karsan Autonomous E-Atak also causes a sensation in Germany. In Germany it is even the first bus to receive approval for autonomous driving at Level 4 from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). This permit opened the doors for its commitment as part of the “Albus” project in Hanover, where the e-Atak is available on a 7-kilometer route on line 906 between Burgdorf and Hanover. Here, too, the bus shows that it is at the pulse of time: it can control up to 10 traffic lights and operates 13 stops at a constant speed of 40 km/h.

In the past four years, the Karsan E-ATAK has promoted 35,000 passengers and has covered more than 100,000 kilometers in urban areas. Even under extreme temperatures, with minus 25 degrees Celsius, he operated successfully. Another highlight: the e-Atak was the first driverless vehicle in Europe to drive through an 800 meter long tunnel in Stavanger, Norway. The demonstration trips in Germany are planned for one year, and Karsan is already thinking about extending the use of e-Atak in cities such as Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Arbon, Switzerland.

technical sophistication and sustainability

Technologically speaking, the e-Atak is a true masterpiece. Equipped with a 220 kWh battery from BMW, it can be fully charged to DC charging stations within just three hours. The bus also scores with an advanced sensor suite that includes Lidar, Radar, RGB cameras and GNSS. These technologies enable complex urban maneuvers and guarantee a high level of security for passengers.

Karsan also offers a number of battery -electric and hydrogen -powered buses. Over 1,500 electric vehicles in 27 countries have been in use since 2022. The Turkish company is not only looking for innovative solutions, but also plays an important role in the field of sustainable mobility.

With the upcoming launch in Paris and the already started applications in Germany, Karsan proves that they have a good knack for the future of public transport. It remains exciting to observe how autonomous mobility develops and what influence Karsan's projects will have on the everyday life of people.

Read more on this topic on Busplaner , Modern Business Germany .