TEMSA showcased its electric Avenue Electron, ready for serial production, at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover. Pointing to an expansion in the product range with the 12m Avenue Electron after 9m MD9, which makes TEMSA one of the few automotive brands capable of offering multiple electric vehicle models to its customers, TEMSA General Manager Mr. Hasan Yıldırım said, "Automotive industry in the world is now being shaped around smart cities. In that sense, smart cities have become the biggest driver of the growth for the industry. At TEMSA, we believe that our product range will make significant contributions to the 'smart mobility' solutions poised to shape the future of the automotive industry." Emphasizing that we should always be mindful of the 'present' while working for the 'future,' Mr. Yıldırım continued: "The electric vehicles we have been discussing for many years in the industry hit the road as of today. For TEMSA this is not just a new investment move, but a move that sparks a movement that will turn our cities – and ultimately our world – less noisy and cleaner. The first step to a smarter, much cleaner future... World's population is expected to reach almost 10 billion in 2050. From that viewpoint, we see the electric vehicle movement we sparked as one of the biggest responsibilities towards to world to be undertaken by companies capable of shaping the future like us."

Among the most prestigious events in the automotive world and organized every two years in Hannover, Germany, IAA Commercial Vehicles will take place on 20^th-27^th September this year. Showcasing the latest technology vehicles of the leading automotive companies in the world, IAA CV sheds light on the transport trends of the future. TEMSA is participating in the fair with its three popular vehicles and is the market leader in the bus and coach market in Turkey for the past 4 years with its ca 15 thousand vehicles developed fully by Turkish engineers and exported to 66 countries around the world. In addition to Maraton and MD9, TEMSA will showcase its electric bus, Avenue Electron, at Booth E24 at Hall 11.

5% of Turnover Earmarked for R&D

Remarking on the company's activities and vision for the future at the press conference held at the TEMSA booth during the opening of IAA CV, the General Manager of TEMSA, Mr. Hasan Yıldırım said that the companies at IAA CV put all their effort in realizing their dreams and added: "At the top of these dreams is smart cities filled with smart vehicles... We at TEMSA shape our activities with this vision in mind and strive to bring to life most useful solutions. Annually, we allocate about 5% of our annual turnover to R&D efforts."

Our biggest motivation: People

Saying that everyone strives for a more habitable future and that this is a long journey, Mr. Yıldırım continued: "The biggest danger that awaits us is that we may forget why we embarked on this road in the first place because the journey takes too long.  Let's not forget that the biggest motivation behind this journey for all of us is people. All these products we put intelligence into, all this technology is for our children and ultimately the world they will inherit..."

The first step to a less noisy and cleaner future

Emphasizing that we should always be mindful of the 'present' while working for the 'future,' Mr. Yıldırım continued: "The electric vehicles we have been discussing for many years hit the road as of today. For TEMSA this is not just a new investment move, but a move that sparks a movement that will turn our cities, and ultimately our world, less noisy and cleaner; the first step towards a much smarter, much cleaner future. World's population is expected to reach almost 10 billion in 2050. From that viewpoint, we see the electric vehicle movement we sparked as one of the biggest responsibilities towards to world to be undertaken by companies capable of shaping the future like us."

One of a few automotive companies

Stating that Avenue Electron, developed by TEMSA and ready for serial production as of today, is poised to be the leader of this vision, Mr. Yıldırım pointed to the fact that the electric vehicle product range is now expanded with the 12m Avenue Electron, which came after 9m MD9. With this, TEMSA becomes one of the few automotive brands capable of offering multiple electric vehicle models to its customers according to Hasan Yıldırım, who added, "Automotive industry in the world is now being shaped around smart cities. In that sense, smart cities have become the biggest driver of the growth for the industry. At TEMSA, we believe that our product range will make significant contributions to the 'smart mobility' solutions poised to shape the future of the automotive industry."

35-person seating capacity, 230 km drive range

Reminding that MD9, TEMSA's first electric vehicle, was 9 meters long, Mr. Yıldırım said: "That vehicle was created with narrow roads and relatively tough road conditions in mind. MD9 is serially produced and had a driving range of 230 km with A/C on and an average passanger weight. The next generation MD9 will be able to travel 300 km and fully charged in 3 hours. On display here today, the Avenue Electron, is now in serial production and ready to order with its 12 meter length, 35 seats and 85-person passenger capacity. It can travel up to 230 km on full charge. On top of that, it is equipped with quick charge capability. Thanks to that, it can travel 90 km after 9 minutes of charging, which puts it to a very important place especially in public transport. Our R&D efforts continue for this vehicle. Our goal is to stretch the 230-km-range to 350 km."

Battery options from 240 to 360 kWh

Taking the floor after Mr. Hasan Yıldırım, TEMSA General Manager, Mr. Serkan Uzunay, Chief Marketing Officer, provided details about the vehicles on display at the fair. Pointing to the fact that the technology-based transformation in the world necessitates different solutions in the field of public transport, Mr. Uzunay said, "Our Avenue Electron model is among the newest transit vehicles in smart cities. Thanks to the high level of technology we posses, we can build batteries from 240 to 360 kWh. This enables our customers to choose according to the range and passenger capacity they plan to have. We are aware that in today's world, our customers need solutions tailored to their respective organizations.

New for drivers: one pedal driving

Pointing to another important novelty that comes with these vehicles, one pedal driving, Mr. Uzunay continued: "At TEMSA we are saying that our vehicles may approach the bus stop only using the gas pedal. Connected to the battery, this pedal will get the vehicle to accelerate when the driver presses down, and decelerate, and even come to a stop when they take their foot off. There will be a 15% increase in the driving range once this technology becomes widespread. Offering a huge improvement to driving comfort, the system will also lower the vehicles’ brake maintenance costs and maintenance periods, as well as making a big contribution to the protection of the environment. Offering all these technologies in one, our electric bus Avenue Electron is now in serial production and ready to order, as stated by Mr. Yıldırım.

Total cost of ownership minimized

Speaking about the Maraton and MD9 models on display at the TEMSA booth, Mr. Uzunay said: "We call Maraton the younger sister of MD9 at the company. MD9 is one of the most concrete examples of TEMSA's state-of-the-art technology, and more importantly, people-oriented approach to design. In addition to its internal and external aesthetics, the functional design of this vehicle reduces the total cost of ownership to minimum."