Karsan's Autonomous e-ATAK, developed in collaboration with ADASTEC, has received official Level 4 autonomous driving certification from the Dutch Vehicle Authority (RDW). According to the official statement released by ADASTEC on June 24, 2026, the vehicle's flowride.ai autonomous driving software platform successfully completed the rigorous testing protocols set by the RDW. This certification makes the Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK one of the first Level 4 autonomous public transport vehicles to be verified by a European authority.
Testing with Dummy Vehicles and Complex Scenarios
RDW's evaluation process was conducted through complex scenarios that were controlled but closely mirrored real-world conditions. The tests utilized dummy vehicles, varying environmental conditions, and a wide range of driving scenarios. According to ADASTEC, the flowride.ai software consistently demonstrated safe, reliable, and intelligent autonomous behavior across all these scenarios.
This approval is seen as a significant milestone in ADASTEC's strategy to develop scalable, data-driven and globally adaptable Level-4 autonomous public transport solutions. The company emphasised that the approval represents a critical step towards broader commercial operations.
A Benchmark for Autonomous Buses in Europe
The Dutch RDW approval also serves as a benchmark for the legal framework governing autonomous public transport vehicles across Europe. Karsan had previously announced that it was the only company to receive the European Type-Approved Base Vehicle certificate at the MOVE 2026 event. With the RDW approval, the vehicle has now reached the most advanced level in the European market in terms of both technical capability and legal compliance.
Karsan and ADASTEC have already deployed the Autonomous e-ATAK in Norway, Romania, the Netherlands (Rotterdam Airport), the United States (Michigan State University and Atlanta), Sweden and Türkiye (İGA Istanbul Airport). The Autonomous e-JESTs currently carrying passengers in Atlanta as part of World Cup 2026 also utilise the same flowride.ai platform.
[Update] ADASTEC Co-Founder Kamil Güçlü Provides Details on the Approval Process:
ADASTEC co-founder Kamil Güçlü, in an assessment following the RDW approval, stated that a Level-4 autonomous driving approval is backed by thousands of hours of engineering work and one of the industry's most rigorous validation processes. "Level 4 approval is not granted with a single successful demonstration," said Güçlü, adding that during the test process, numerous edge cases were successfully validated, including vehicle and motorcycle interactions under adaptive cruise control, pedestrian and cyclist scenarios, junction crossings, left turns, yielding situations, stationary obstacle detection, unexpected U-turns and suddenly appearing obstructions. Güçlü stated: "This achievement is earned through meticulous software testing processes, engineering excellence and the repeated demonstration of safety in real-world conditions."
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