Karsan’s Autonomous e-ATAK tested and approved on high-traffic routes in Paris

With its vision of “Staying One Step Ahead in the Future of Mobility,” Karsan, a pioneer in the global transformation of public transportation, continues to reshape the industry’s dynamics through its autonomous initiatives. In this context, Karsan which has successfully passed tests conducted by leading global authorities, was actively tested in autonomous driving mode on Paris’s busy and critical Route 393.

Karsan’s Autonomous e-ATAK earns global recognition with a test approval from the French Ministry of Transport

Autonomous e-ATAK, developed by Karsan in collaboration with its technology partner ADASTEC, has successfully completed a six-month long-term project with the RATP Group (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens), one of the leading public transportation operators based in Paris, France. As part of the project, the vehicle completed approximately 3,000 kilometers of autonomous driving in real-world urban conditions including open traffic and environments with both vehicles and pedestrians with an average of 5 hours of active operation per day. The achieved 98% autonomous driving rate demonstrated the solution’s high reliability and operational maturity in the field. Testing activities under the project were conducted by RATP at UTAC’s test track. Following comprehensive evaluations conducted under the supervision of French regulatory authorities, the project received nationwide testing approval from the DGEC, the agency within the French Ministry of Transport responsible for autonomous mobility approval processes. With this approval, the Autonomous e-ATAK achieved “Operational Approval” status to conduct autonomous operations in open traffic. In this regard, the project has positioned itself as one of the pioneering and benchmark autonomous public transportation applications in Europe to have received regulatory approval under real-world traffic conditions.

As part of the project, autonomous driving operations and system validation tests were conducted on the approximately 8.5-kilometer central route of Bus Route 393 (Sucy – Bonneuil RER / Thiais – Carrefour de la Résistance), one of Paris’s busiest and most critical routes. In this context, the vehicle successfully demonstrated its operational capabilities by being tested in advanced driving scenarios, including navigation in mixed traffic conditions, precise stopping at bus stops, and real-time interaction with traffic lights and intersections.

Karsan CEO Okan Baş, noting that Karsan continues to modernize public transportation worldwide from Europe to the U.S. with next-generation technologies, stated, “In a market like France, where regulations are extremely rigorous and selective, the operational approval we have obtained for the Autonomous e-ATAK is not merely a project success; it is a strong affirmation of Karsan’s technological expertise and global vision in the field of autonomous mobility. The high performance we achieved under real-world traffic conditions clearly demonstrates that Level-4 autonomous driving technologies are no longer a solution for the future, but for today. With this success, Karsan remains committed to playing a leading role in the global adoption of autonomous public transportation and guiding the mobility transformation of cities.”

ADASTEC CEO Dr. Ali Peker commented on the matter, stating, “Together with RATP and Karsan, we have demonstrated that Level-4 automated driving is a proven and scalable technology for public transport. Successfully operating in one of the most complex metropolitan environments in the world, including high-capacity BRT lines, highlights our capability to deploy and scale automated mobility across diverse real-world conditions,” he said.

Our goal for 2026 is to completely remove the safety driver from the system

Highlighting that this project has once again demonstrated Karsan’s technological prowess to the world, Okan Baş continued: “Through this project, Karsan has demonstrated not only its technological expertise but also its ability to quickly adapt to diverse urban dynamics, high-density transportation scenarios, and advanced infrastructure integrations. This success achieved in a city like Paris, which is recognized as a global benchmark, has been a strategic step that strengthens our brand’s position in the international market while paving the way for new partnerships. This project, carried out with RATP, not only demonstrated the proven performance of the Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK under real-world operational conditions but also showcased the on-site success of a fully integrated Level-4 mobility solution where advanced autonomous driving software and vehicle integration work in tandem. 

This project, which tangibly supports Karsan’s vision of leading the autonomous mobility transformation in Europe, has become a significant milestone that sets a strong benchmark for future urban autonomous transportation projects. The operational experience and technical validations we gained from this project have also laid a solid foundation for the next step in our brand’s autonomous mobility roadmap. “As Karsan, we aim to launch a new project in Stavanger, Norway, by 2026, utilizing a fully autonomous operational model where the safety driver is completely removed from the system.”