Karsan will introduce Switzerland’s first autonomous public transport vehicle later this year, with its Autonomous e-ATAK bus scheduled to begin carrying passengers in Arbon in autumn 2025.
The project will be operated by Eurobus Ostschweiz AG as part of the Self Controlled City Liner (SCCL) initiative led by the Technical Association of Arbon (TGA).
The 8-metre electric bus, named ARTOUR, will run on a 2.5-kilometre route linking Arbon’s historic city centre with the Saurer Werk 2 residential district. The service will have nine stops and a maximum operating speed of 30 km/h.
The vehicle will operate autonomously along a pre-planned route at Level 4 automation, with on-board systems using LiDAR, radar and RGB cameras for navigation and passenger service functions. A safety attendant will also remain on board.
In the second phase of the project, teleoperation capabilities will be introduced, allowing the bus to be monitored and operated remotely. This development is planned for around one year after the initial launch, following the completion of necessary infrastructure work.
Karsan has previously deployed the Autonomous e-ATAK in other countries, including the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, Turkey and Finland. The vehicle has been selected for Arbon in part due to its size, which is suited to operating on the town’s narrow streets.
The Autonomous e-ATAK is equipped to handle passenger boarding and alighting, stop approaches, and interaction with traffic signals without a driver present. It can operate in various weather and lighting conditions, with a top autonomous speed of 40 km/h.
