Aytunç Günay: “We are proud to represent a Turkish brand abroad.”**
Dr. Murat Yülek: “Electric vehicles will be the products of the future.”**
Orhan Aydın: “All of Turkey should embrace this bus.”**
Gürsel Baran: “Our buses, a source of pride produced by Bozankaya, are present in European Union countries.”**
Nurettin Özdebir: “Ankara deserves this vehicle, our Ankara needs it.”**
Bozankaya, a member of ARUS (Association of Electric Transport Operators), which produced Turkey's first domestically manufactured electric metrobus and has won all electric bus tenders held in our country to date, carrying the flag in the field of new generation and environmentally friendly transportation technologies, introduced its electric metrobus in OSTİM.
As part of the promotional activities, OSTİM Technical University and Bozankaya A.Ş. signed a cooperation protocol.
The signing ceremony was attended by Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) President Nurettin Özdebir, Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) President Gürsel Baran, OSTİM Board Chairman Orhan Aydın, OSTİM Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Yülek, Bozankaya A.Ş. Board Chairman Aytunç Günay, university students and industrialists.
Following the ceremony, a city tour of Ankara was organized using the 100% electric, domestically produced Metrobus.
The vehicle will be waiting for technology enthusiasts in front of the OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone for a month.
Used in 9 cities
Aytunç Günay, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bozankaya A.Ş., stated that their 25-meter electric bus has been in use in Turkey for 7 years.
Günay, noting that the domestically produced vehicle has traveled 700,000 km, said, “Our aim is to reintroduce this vehicle, which we have been using and providing public transportation services for 7 years, and to popularize it. Fifteen years ago, when we thought that electric buses could replace fossil fuel vehicles, it was all just a dream for all of us, but today we are watching with great pleasure and enjoyment as these high-tech products provide public transportation services and utilize their advantages.”
Aytunç Günay stated that the company's biggest advantage is producing high-tech products, adding, "Our company also manufactures trams and subways, and we have now reached a point where we export both subways and trams abroad. In this way, we both contribute to the economy of our country and experience the pride of representing a Turkish brand abroad."
32 R&D Projects with 14 Universities
Highlighting that the company employs over 100 R&D engineers, the experienced businessman stated, “To date, we have completed 32 R&D projects in collaboration with 14 universities. We will be signing a cooperation protocol to continue our R&D work with OSTİM Technical University, which is the first of its kind established in the heart of the industrial sector. We believe that we have contributed significantly to the universities we have worked with in Turkey, together with the faculty and students working there. We are confident that we will continue to develop successful projects with the team at OSTİM Technical University in the future.”
The product of the future
OSTİM Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Yülek described Bozankaya A.Ş. as one of Ankara's and Turkey's most prominent technology companies.
Highlighting the share of electric vehicles in the global market, Yülek said, “Electric vehicles will be the products of the future. Today, with this Ankara tour, we will begin our collaboration with Bozankaya in the field of R&D and in the field of education for our students.”
Emphasizing that OSTİM Technical University is one of Ankara's two technical universities, Rector Yülek stated: “Our university is the first industrial university in Turkey and the world. As you have noticed, it is located right in the heart of industry, alongside Bozankaya and other companies; it is not, so to speak, a plaza university. Our professors collaborate with Bozankaya and many other leading companies in R&D and consultancy. Our students, like Bozankaya, spend at least one course in the industry every semester throughout their education at high-tech companies. Because if we don't do this, it will be very difficult to train maker engineers who are aware of the industry. Turkey needs these kinds of programs and these kinds of engineers. May our domestically produced metrobus be auspicious.”
“All of Turkey needs to support this”
OSTİM Chairman Orhan Aydın stated that the domestically produced metrobus will be introduced to Ankara in collaboration with OSTİM Technical University. Recalling that the company's electric vehicles were showcased to the world at the InnoTrans Fair in Germany, Aydın said, "Bozankaya's legendary bus was number one there, so we are proud of them."
Aydın, drawing attention to the fact that the collaboration between OSTİM Technical University and Bozankaya will yield very positive results, stated the following: “This company is also a domestic, national brand known in the European industry, with established locations in Europe, and capable of producing many parts for light rail, metro, and high-speed trains. Therefore, I would like to state here that we, as ARUS, will do everything related to this company within our organization, and we are ready to do everything. But I also hope, in the presence of the press, that all of Turkey should embrace this bus. Look, we are struggling to make a domestic car, and this company has made a domestic bus. They have made a domestic bus, put their own brand on it, meaning we have made our own bus. Look how much effort and performance it requires for us to make a car, but we have done it, we have made the bus.”
“Our buses are used in the European Union”
ATO President Gürsel Baran stated that Bozankaya is one of Ankara's important brands.
Baran noted that the company serves local governments in many parts of the world with its domestic production, and said: “Two years ago, there was a delivery to the Thai Municipality. Today, our buses and metro buses are being used in the European Union. Our buses, which are a source of pride for us and produced by Bozankaya, are in use in European Union countries, which is very valuable for us.”
We desperately need university-industry collaboration, vocational training, branding, and value-added production, because unfortunately, we are a country with a current account deficit. Our expenses exceed our income, and to close this gap, we desperately need these productions and brands. I truly believe this is crucial for the future of this country.”
“Our Ankara needs it”
ASO President Nurettin Özdebir, drawing attention to the value of the domestically produced electric metrobus, said, "Two issues stand out on the agenda of the whole world. One of them is digital transformation, and the other is the green economy."
Özdebir emphasized that the green economy is not just about emissions, stating, “It is a type of economy that envisions not only economic development but also qualitative development. One of the most important aspects of this type of economy is taking certain measures, primarily controlling our emissions, to ensure that people can live healthily in the world we live in, and that the value created is shared equally by broad segments of the population and countries. The technology that has brought us here today is extremely important for the green economy, the green world, and for protecting the air we breathe, our atmosphere, which acts as a shield for the world, protecting us from space radiation and the harmful effects of the sun, which are the foundations of people's healthy lives.”
Özdebir, drawing attention to the air pollution that such a large vehicle would create in a city, especially in a basin-shaped city like Ankara, due to the emissions it would generate from the diesel fuel it uses, said: “I have witnessed its production for 7-8 years, I have witnessed it operating in various European countries, there are already municipalities in our country that have acquired it, I have called and talked to many of them, introduced it and so on. Ankara deserves this vehicle, our Ankara needs it.”
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