Turkey’s first electric bus ready to hit roads

SAKARYA - Anatolia News Agency

Turkey’s first electric bus is ready for serial production after a 6-month test.

Turkey’s first electric bus, the Doruk Electra, produced by Turkish bus maker Otokar, is ready to be produced serially and hit the roads after completion of a six-month testing period. 

Doruk Elektra, which runs completely on electricity and can cover 280 kilometers of road with a single charge, has been operating on some routes in Istanbul for six months as a part of the Otokar’s deal with Istanbul Public Transport Authority (İETT).

Thanks to six-month operations of the buses on the road, the developers have earned experience ahead of the vehicle’s launch on the market, Otokar’s general manager, Serdar Görgüç said.

“Many municipalities throughout the country have shown interest in the bus. But instead of selling the buses quickly, we preferred to test the performance in the field,” he said.

As the buses’ performances proved themselves, now the company is ready to talk with interested municipalities. 

“We’re also receiving demand from cities other than Istanbul, particularly metropolitan cities. After tests with IETT, we’re ready to send off Doruk to these cities,” Görgüç said. 

Doruk Electra produces zero emissions with minimal vibration and sound. The bus will be able to function for six to eight hours and cover a distance of 280 kilometers in ideal circumstances and 170 kilometers in heavy traffic with a maximum load of passengers after having been charged. In addition, the bus has an onboard charging unit to recharge itself while waiting at bus stops.