Known in America as the “Cute Bus,” Karsan’s e-JEST is now taking to the roads in its autonomous version

As one of the world’s leading public transportation brands, Karsan held the American debut of its Autonomous e-JEST on November 5 in Orlando, following its European launch earlier in October at Busworld Europe 2025.

The Autonomous e-JEST, presented to the North American market for the first time at a special event, was tested by customers, distributor, and members of the press from different regions of the United States and received great interest. Immediately after the launch, Karsan Autonomous e-JEST was also showcased at the Florida Autonomous Vehicle Summit (FAV Summit) held from November 5–7, where it offered outdoor autonomous ride experiences to attendees—attracting significant attention during its first U.S. public demonstration. This enthusiastic reception reaffirmed Karsan’s innovative vision in autonomous mobility and its strong global potential. Cementing this success, Karsan received its first order of 10 Autonomous e-JESTs from the U.S., marking another milestone in the brand’s global journey. This achievement represents more than just a commercial success—it’s also a reflection of Karsan’s powerful collaboration ecosystem with its technology partner ADASTEC, North American distributor Damera, and service orchestrator partner Beep. Together, these partnerships enable Karsan to deliver an end-to-end autonomous mobility experience, from production line to on-road operation.

The Autonomous e-JEST fleet is scheduled to begin public road service in 2026 within Atlanta area and Central Florida. These vehicles will be the first electric and autonomous city minibuses in the U.S., further strengthening Karsan’s position as a pioneering brand in autonomous public transport across both Europe and North America.

Commenting on the development, Karsan CEO Okan Baş said: “With this step, we are strengthening our autonomous presence in America following our success in Europe. Our e-JEST model, which entered North America in 2022, was met with great enthusiasm and affection—earning the nickname ‘Cute Bus’. Now, we are taking our position in the market one step further with its latest autonomous version, the Autonomous e-JEST. The order of 10 Autonomous e-JESTs from the U.S. is the clearest indication of trust in Karsan’s technological strength and strong partnerships in autonomous mobility. Combining the agility and efficiency of e-JEST with the proven autonomous technology of our e-ATAK model opens the doors to a new era in urban transportation. With this move, we once again demonstrate that Karsan is ready to deliver electric, autonomous, and future-ready mobility solutions in the North American market.”

ORLANDO. November 5, 2025. Playing a pioneering role in the transformation of public transportation into electric and autonomous vehicles worldwide, Karsan continues to expand into new markets with its newly introduced Autonomous e-JEST. Maintaining its leading role in urban mobility solutions, Karsan is opening a new chapter in its autonomous transformation journey with its presentation in America, following the European launch at the Busworld Europe 2025 fair. The Autonomous e-JEST is preparing to start operations in America in cooperation with Karsan’s technology partner ADASTEC, North American distributor Damera, and autonomous service orchestrator partner Beep.

The order of 10 Autonomous e-JESTs received from America reveals not only Karsan’s technological strength but also the success of its trust-based global collaborations. Within the scope of these collaborations, it is planned that the first Autonomous e-JESTs will start public road service in 2026 in the Atlanta Area and Central Florida.

The JEST Family Has Become a Symbol of Trust and Success

Emphasizing that Karsan continues to strengthen its presence in the American market, Karsan CEO Okan Baş said: “With this step, we are strengthening our autonomous presence in America following our success in Europe. Our e-JEST model, which entered North America in 2022, was met with great interest in a short time and began to be called the ‘Cute Bus’. Now, with the Autonomous e-JEST, the latest version of our beloved model equipped with the most advanced autonomous technology, we are taking our place in the market one step further.” Baş continued: “The JEST model family, born in 2016, has quickly become a symbol of trust and success in urban public transport. With more than 10,000 units produced, our JEST model has achieved strong sales success in Europe and other markets and is the leader in its 6-meter (19 ft) electric segment. With its compact design, eco-friendly structure, and high manoeuvrability, JEST has become a real ‘gamechanger’ in public transport.

On the other hand, with our Autonomous e-ATAK model, we have gained more than four years of real operational experience and successfully tested it in different markets. The experience we have gained in this process has further strengthened Karsan’s leadership in autonomous public transport. Now we are transferring this know-how to the e-JEST platform. With the U.S. launch, the agile and efficient structure of e-JEST is combined with the proven autonomous technology of the Autonomous e-ATAK, opening the doors to a new era in urban mobility.”

Preparations Have Begun for the First Autonomous e-JEST Operations in the U.S.!

Karsan has started the preparation process for the delivery of the first 10-units Autonomous e-JEST in America, planned to start initial operations in Florida and Georgia in 2026, together with its technology partner ADASTEC, North American distributor Damera, and service orchestrator partner Beep, with whom it is jointly shaping the autonomous ecosystem in America.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

Dear Esteemed Partner,

We are pleased to share Karsan’s official press kit for the U.S. debut of our 100% Electric Autonomous e-JEST, marking an important milestone in our North American expansion.

Press Kit: [https://www.karsan.com/en/press-kit-2025]

Following its European premiere at Busworld Europe 2025, the Autonomous e-JEST was introduced in Orlando and received strong interest from customers and media. We are proud to announce our first U.S. order of 10 Autonomous e-JESTs, which will begin public road service in 2026 becoming the first electric and autonomous city minibuses in the United States.

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