Karsan Jest
| |
| Years of manufacture | 2013 to present |
| Length | 5.845 metres |
| Width | 2055 millimetres |
The Karsan Jest , also called the CS, is a low floor minibus sold in Europe and North America. It was unveiled in May 2013, with an international debut in October 2013 at Busworld Kortrijk.[1] In 2015, Karsan introduced the bus to the North American market. It made its Canadian debut at the 2015 Ontario Transportation Expo.
In 2017, Karsan updated the Jest and named it the Jest+.[2] The front fascia was restyled with a black grill area and LED day running lights. The door was made wider, and the rear axle capacity was increased from 2,300 kilograms to 2,500 kilograms. The interior was also reconfigured. Karsan introduced the option for an automatic transmission. This model is called the Jestronic.
The battery-electric powered version of the Jest was first previewed in October 2017 at Busworld Kortrijk. It uses an electric drivetrain supplied by BMW. A 170 horsepower traction motor drives the bus through a single-speed transmission. The Jest Electric was introduced with 33 or 66 kilowatt-hour batteries for a range of up to 165 kilometres. It can be fully charged in 8 hours with conventional charging units or 1.2 hours with fast charging.[3] Later called the e-Jest, it uses 44 or 88 kilowatt-hour batteries, offering a range of up to 210 kilometres.[4]
Karsan introduced their battery-electric Jest to Canada at the 2018 CUTA Transit Show in Toronto. Through Damera Bus Corp, they delivered their first e-Jest buses to a Canadian transit agency in June 2022. Saint John Transit took delivery of six buses in total.[5] Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority was the first operator in the United States to take delivery of these buses in a non-demonstrator capacity in July 2023.
Karsan launched a right-hand drive version of the Jest in Japan at the end of 2023 with Altech as the distributor. The following year at the Euro Bus Expo, Karsan launched the right-hand drive version of the Jest for the British and Irish markets with EVM as the distributor. Karsan plans to launch the right-hand drive version in Australia and Malta in the future.
Specifications
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Length: 5.845m | ||
| Width: 2055mm | ||
| Height: 2630mm (w/o A/C), 2800mm (w/ A/C) | ||
| Wheelbase: 3.750m | ||
| GVWR: 5000/5200 kg | ||
| Engine | Emissions | Availability |
| FPT F1A 2.300 litre, 93 kW | Euro 5 | 2013-2016 |
| FPT F1C 2.998 litre, 170 hp | Euro 6 | 2015 onward |
| Traction Motor | Availability | |
| BMW 135 kW, 290 Nm | e-Jest | |
| Transmission | Availability | |
| 1 speed automatic | e-Jest | |
| 6 speed manual | Jest & Jest+ | |
| 6 speed automatic | Jestronic | |
| Traction Batteries | Availability | |
| Lithium-ion 44 kWh | e-Jest | |
| Lithium-ion 88 kWh | e-Jest | |
| suspension | ||
| 4WIS - Four-wheel independent suspension | ||
| Independent helical springs, telescopic shock absorbers, ant-roll bar | ||
| Brakes | ||
| Hydraulic & disc brakes | ||
| Electrical | ||
| 1 or 2 x 12V batteries | ||
Operators
Bulgaria
- Stolichen Avtotransport - Sofia
Canada 
- Brightwater Community Shuttle (operated by Voyago Transportation - Mississauga, ON
- Oakville Transit - Oakville, ON
- Saint John Transit - Saint John, NB
Japan
- Iianachan Bus - Ina City
Portugal 
- Carris - Lisbon
- Serviços Municipalizados de Transportes Urbanos de Coimbra (SMTUC) - Coimbra
United States 
- Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority - Martha's Vineyard, MA
- Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) - Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (On Order)
- Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) - Santa Maria, CA
References
- ↑ Turkish Automotive Manufacturer Karsan Presents Its New Generation Products At The Busworld Kortrijk. Press release. 18 October 2013.
- ↑ Karsan Euro 6 Jest brochure.
- ↑ KARSAN JEST ELECTRIC PASSES BMW TESTS WITH FLYING COLORS!. Press release. 04 August 2018.
- ↑ ” Karsan e-JEST Leads the European Market Two Years in a Row!” Karsan, 25 February 2022.
- ↑ “City of Saint John receives first electric transit bus from Damera Bus Corp, a leading supplier of zero-emission buses.” 20 June 2022. City of Saint John.