Cummins is celebrating 16 years of supplying engines to Otokar’s Sakarya bus manufacturing facility in Türkiye from its Darlington plant, which has seen more than 20,000 engines for coach and bus applications delivered. The occasion was marked with the presentation of a celebratory plaque to Otokar from the Cummins team at its engine plant in Darlington.
Since the installation of the first Cummins unit in 2006, the manufacturer’s diesel and natural gas engines have been a mainstay in the majority of Otokar’s city and inter-city buses, as well as tourist coaches operating across Türkiye and worldwide. Approximately 90% of buses produced at its Sakarya manufacturing facility feature Cummins Euro VI F2.8, B4.5, B6.7 low-emission diesel or L9N natural gas engines.
Cenk Yavuz, Türkiye Territory Manager at Cummins, commented: “We are excited to celebrate this key milestone with Otokar. Since supplying our first engine, the Euro IV ISB4.5 for the Sultan midibus in 2006, we have worked in partnership to ensure our products meet Otokar’s needs for high performance, reliability, simplicity and easy maintenance. As Otokar’s business continues to expand, we look forward to working with them on future projects.”
Otokar has been a significant player in the bus market in Türkiye for the last 13 years, with products ranging from 6.6m to 21m in length and capacities from 46 to 146 passengers.
Otokar recently announced an extension to its product line up with the Centro, its new 6.6m mini-bus powered by a Cummins F2.8, 107kW (143hp) Euro VI engine. Kerem Erman, Assistant General Manager for Commercial Vehicles at Otokar, commented: “The Turkish bus market grew 8% by units last year and we increased our market share substantially. One out of every two buses sold in Türkiye was Otokar branded, many of which were Cummins powered.
“A long-term partnership with our suppliers, reliable aftersales support, spare parts availability and warranty support are very important for us. We have a great relationship with Cummins – they are a trusted partner to Otokar and their Euro VI advanced diesel and natural gas engines have been instrumental to our success.”
Approximately 73% of Otokar’s 2021 revenue was from export sales and the company is a major driver of automotive exports from Türkiye. Its public transport vehicles operate in more than 50 countries, including its key European markets in France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
