Having established itself as a global leader in public transportation, Karsan continues to introduce its autonomous mobility solutions to new markets. After launching in Spain, the company has now brought its innovative Autonomous e-ATAK to Italy. In partnership with Bolzano’s public transport authority SASA, Karsan organized a test drive event, allowing participants to experience the cutting-edge technology behind its driverless bus.
Among the key attendees were Daniel Alfreider, Vice President of the Autonomous Region of Bolzano and Councilor for Infrastructure and Mobility, Martin Vallazza, Director of Infrastructure and Mobility, SASA President Astrid Kofler, and SASA General Manager Ruggero Rossi de Mio. The event marked a significant milestone in shaping the future of autonomous public transportation in Europe.
Karsan has been at the forefront of transforming urban mobility with its electric and autonomous vehicles. Following its successful debut of the world’s first Level-4 driverless public transportation vehicle in Madrid, Spain, the company now introduces the same cutting-edge technology to Bolzano, Italy.
The test event in Bolzano featured representatives from Karsan Europe and ADASTEC, Karsan’s technology partner, alongside key regional officials. By organizing the test drive in this historical Northern Italian city, Karsan also offered participants the chance to experience Italy’s first autonomous bus firsthand.
The test drive took place at the Safety Park track in Bolzano, a facility designed for safe driving simulations and advanced automation tests. This provided the perfect environment to observe Autonomous e-ATAK’s performance in various traffic scenarios.
During the closed-track test, the driverless bus operated fully autonomously, showcasing its precision navigation, adaptive control, and advanced maneuvering capabilities. The vehicle successfully handled sharp turns, maintained stability, and demonstrated exceptional road grip, earning positive feedback from authorities for its operational efficiency.
Developed in collaboration with ADASTEC, the Autonomous e-ATAK is the world’s first and only Level-4 autonomous electric bus operating in open traffic. It achieved a major milestone by completing a 1.5-year deployment at Michigan State University in the U.S., covering a 5-kilometer route with actual passengers.
In Stavanger, Norway, the bus has been running on a ticketed public route since 2022, recently expanding its path to include a tunnel, making it the first autonomous vehicle to navigate such a challenging environment successfully.
Karsan is now expanding its global presence, with upcoming deliveries to Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden scheduled for the first half of 2025. This expansion will bring Autonomous e-ATAK’s presence to 10 different locations across 11 autonomous projects, further solidifying its world-first status in open-road passenger transport.
Equipped with a state-of-the-art sensor package, the Autonomous e-ATAK integrates LiDAR, radar, RGB cameras, GNSS, and advanced sensors to ensure precise navigation and situational awareness under all weather conditions. Operating day or night, the bus can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h in autonomous mode while performing all essential tasks without a human driver.
This includes:
✅ Approaching and stopping at designated stations
✅ Managing passenger boarding and alighting
✅ Handling intersections and traffic signals
With a length of 8.3 meters, the Autonomous e-ATAK is designed to meet urban transit demands efficiently, providing a sustainable and high-capacity transport solution. The vehicle’s fast-charging capability ensures continuous service, taking only 5 hours with AC charging or 3 hours with DC charging to fully recharge.
By pioneering such groundbreaking advancements, Karsan continues to shape the future of autonomous public transportation worldwide, making driverless mobility a reality for cities across the globe.
