Karsan eyes driverless ops in Norway as EV sales surge 37%

Turkish public transport vehicle manufacturer Karsan increased its total turnover by 11% to €330m in 2025, with electric vehicle sales accounting for €220m of that figure, a 37% year-on-year rise. Exports grew 43% to €197m, and EBITDA increased from €32m in 2024 to €54m.

The company operates more than 2,100 electric vehicles across 27 countries and is targeting fleet expansion to more than 2,800 units in Europe in 2026, representing growth of over 30%. Karsan says its e-Jest and e-Atak models hold leading positions in their respective segments in the European electric minibus and bus market, with the company accounting for 80% of electric minibus and bus exports from Turkey to Europe between 2019 and 2025.

For 2026, Karsan plans to enter four new European markets — the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Germany — while strengthening its presence in Spain and Poland. The company is also targeting fully driverless operations in Stavanger, Norway, with its 8-metre Autonomous e-Atak by the third quarter of 2026, and plans to deploy its 6-metre Autonomous e-Jest in the US market. A new electric vehicle model is also planned for launch before the end of 2026.

In a statement, Okan Baş, Chief Executive of Karsan, said: “We aim to rank among the top five players in Europe in the next five years. Autonomous mobility is among our strategic focal points. We have started our efforts to remove the safety driver from the vehicle.”

Source: PR Newswire