A bus driving with no hands on the wheel? Karsan Autonomous e-Atak explained [VIDEO]
Autonomous driving technologies are gradually appearing in public transport operations across Europe through pilot services and demonstrations, with a recent study by McKinsey stating that one out of three bus operators in Europe is considering buying an autonomous bus in the next five years. In a video produced in collaboration with Karsan, we approach the […]
Autonomous driving technologies are gradually appearing in public transport operations across Europe through pilot services and demonstrations, with a recent study by McKinsey stating that one out of three bus operators in Europe is considering buying an autonomous bus in the next five years.
In a video produced in collaboration with Karsan, we approach the topic by placing the viewer in the position of a passenger discovering autonomous mobility for the first time, confronted with a bus travelling while the driver keeps his hands off the wheel — a scenario that becomes the starting point to explore the questions raised by automated public transport.
Autonomous e-Atak in camera!
Filmed at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola, Italy, the video features the Karsan Autonomous e-Atak, currently the only Level-4 autonomous bus available on the European market. The narrative adopts a light and slightly ironic tone, focusing on the questions that naturally arise when encountering autonomous mobility.
Rather than concentrating only on specifications, the video explores practical aspects of operation: how the bus reacts to pedestrians and traffic lights, whether it can operate everywhere, and how passengers receive assistance.
These topics are addressed with explanations from Mustafa Büyük, Autonomous Vehicle Strategy and Project Management at Karsan, who outlines how the system works and how autonomous buses are introduced into service.
The project started with the electric Atak platform, launched in 2019. The Turkish manufacturer announced in 2020 it was working on a Level-4 automated version of the vehicle in partnership with Adastec. The model was subsequently introduced as the Autonomous e-Atak and began real-world deployments in Europe in 2022, when it entered service in Stavanger, Norway, becoming the first full-size autonomous bus operating on a public transport route in the continent. Since then, the vehicle has been involved in several pilot and operational projects, including deployments in Finland, trials in Germany’s Hannover Region and airport operations in the Netherlands, while further projects have been announced in cities such as Paris.
According to figures shared by Karsan, the vehicle has accumulated more than 150,000 kilometres of autonomous driving and transported over 60,000 passengers across deployments in several European locations.
