Karsan Otomotiv Sanayii ve Ticaret : DELIVERS 30 E-JEST MINIBUSES TO THE MUNICIPALITY OF SOFIA IN BULGARIA

Karsan delivers 30 e-JEST minibuses to

the Municipality of Sofia in Bulgaria

Leader of the European Market, Karsan e-JEST

continues to grow!

Karsan, one of the leading companies in the Turkish automotive industry, continues to take important steps towards growth, armed with the "One Step Ahead in the Future of Mobility" motto. Entering 2022, with the aim of doubling growth in all areas, Karsan will deliver 30 e-JEST minibuses under an agreement signed with the Bulgarian municipal operator Stolichen Avtotransport in Sofia. Bulgaria follows in the footsteps of France, Romania, Portugal and Germany, where the highest numbers of e-JEST minibuses are sold. Okan Baş, CEO of Karsan, said, "We doubled our exports in 2021 compared to the previous year and entered 2022 with the same growth target. In this context, we have signed a very important agreement. With its e-JEST minibuses, Karsan was awarded the tender for the delivery of 30 electric minibuses for the city of Sofia in Bulgaria. Our goal is to deliver 30 e-JEST minibuses to the city in 2022. We will sign other important agreements this year as we aim to grow further with our vision of an electric future."

Bringing the technologies of the future to the present, Karsan reshapes the industry with its leading products and continues to dominate the electric minibus market in Europe. Karsan won the 2022 tender for the delivery of 30 electric minibuses for the city of Sofia in Bulgaria with its e-JEST minibuses, the first electric model to hit the road in early 2019, and rounded off 2020 and 2021 as the leader in the market for electric minibuses in Europe. In this context, Karsan signed a contract with Stolichen Avtotransport, the operator of Sofia municipality, for delivery of 30 e-JEST minibuses through the Bulgarian dealer BulBus.

To be put to active use in 2022

With this agreement, which will see the delivery of the largest number of electric minibus deliveries so far in Bulgaria, Karsan intends to deliver 30 e-JEST minibuses to the city of Sofia throughout 2022. The Sofia Municipality, on the other hand, plans to expand its environmentally friendly transportation services by putting these 30 electric vehicles into service for use in public transportation by the end of the year.

"An important part of our growth strategy"

Emphasizing that they had entered 2022 with the goal of a double growth, Okan Baş, CEO of Karsan, said, "We doubled our exports in 2021 compared to the previous year and entered 2022 with the same growth target. In this context, we have signed a very important agreement. With its e-JEST minibuses, Karsan was awarded the tender for the delivery of 30 electric minibuses for the city of Sofia in Bulgaria. Our goal is to deliver 30 e-JEST minibuses to the city in 2022. We will sign other important agreements this year as we aim to grow further with our vision of an electric future."

"We will have a significant share in Bulgaria"

Reminding that Karsan delivered its first electric minibus to Bulgaria last year, Okan Baş said, "In 2021, we already delivered 4 e-JEST minibuses to Dobrich, Bulgaria. This project for further delivery of 34 electric minibuses by the end of 2022 will see us grow even stronger in the segment of electric minibuses. The market for minibuses between 3.5 and 8 tons was 65 in Bulgaria in 2021. We have already taken a very important step by winning the tender for 30 electric minibuses in Sofia. At Karsan, we believe that we will command a significant portion of the Bulgarian minibus market in 2022."

e-JEST, Europe's Number One

Karsan e-JEST managed to gain a 24 percent market share in its class in Europe in 2019, the first year of its launch, and managed to become the best-selling model in its class in 2020 by bringing that share up to 43 percent that year. According to the European Minibus Market Report covering 3.5-8 metric ton-class for 2021, published by Wim Chatrou - CME Solutions, the eco-friendly model, which further built on its success the previous year, increased its market share for electric minibuses in Europe to 51.2 percent, making it the leading brand of its class two years in a row. Karsan's electric minibus e-JEST continues its growth trend with important agreements signed in 2022.

e-JEST offers a range of up to 210 km with its high maneuverability

A proven performer which comes with high maneuverability and unmatched passenger comfort, e-JEST is equipped with a BMW electric motor capable of 170 HP strength and 290 Nm torque with optional 44 or 88 kWh batteries, also made by BMW. Offering the best performance in the six-meter bus class with a range of up to 210 km, the small city bus e-JEST also boasts a regenerative braking system which provides energy recovery by enabling the batteries to self-recharge at a rate of 25 percent. Decorated with a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen, fully digital dashboard, keyless ignition, and USB ports as well as an optional WiFi compatible infrastructure, e-JEST does not come short in terms of comfort compared to passenger cars thanks to its four-wheel independent suspension system.

About Karsan:

Celebrating its 55th anniversary this year in the Turkish automotive industry, Karsan has been manufacturing its own vehicles at its modern facilities as well as parts for the world's prominent brands in the commercial vehicles industry. The company has been engaged in commercial vehicle manufacturing since 1981, and its factory in Hasanağa, Bursa has the capacity to manufacture up to 19,870 vehicles a year on a single shift. The Hasanağa factory is a flexible installation that can manufacture all kinds of vehicles in the same facilities from passenger cars and heavy trucks to minivans and buses. It is located 30 km from the Bursa city center and is built on an area of 200,000 sqm, 90,000 sqm of which is closed space.

Karsan has been the only independent multi-brand vehicle manufacturer in the Turkish automotive industry for more than 50 years and the next phase for the company, powered and enabled by its business partners and licensers, is to develop derivative versions of the new and existing vehicles in order to extend its presence to all the segments of cargo and passenger transportation, in accordance with its vision of being one step ahead in the future of mobility. Working to develop "innovative products and services from conception into the market" in public transportation segment, Karsan primarily aims to strengthen its Main Manufacturer/OEM business line.

Karsan manages the entire automotive value chain, from R&D to production, marketing, sales, and after-sales activities. Karsan manufactures the Jest, Atak, and Star models under its own brand. It also manufactures and sells fully electric vehicles, the e-JEST and e-ATAK lines, in partnership with the world giant BMW, as well as the Level-4 autonomous bus e-ATAK model and 10, 12, and 18m e-ATA buses in partnership with the local technology company ADASTEC. Karsan, which will start manufacturing Megane Sedan automobiles for Renault by the end of 2022, currently manufactures 10, 12 and 18m buses for Menarinibus. Besides vehicle manufacturing, Karsan also provides a range of industrial services in its factory located in the Organized Industrial Zone.