Marti and Tensor will deploy autonomous vehicles in Türkiye

Multi-year partnership forged

Marti Technologies, a Turkish mobility app, has announced a multi-year agreement with Tensor for the purchase and deployment of autonomous vehicles on its mobility platform. 

The goal is to integrate these Robocars into Marti's service in approximately 20 major cities, covering roughly 80% of the national GDP, including Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Eventually, users will be able to request a Tensor autonomous vehicle directly from the Marti app, just as they currently do for a traditional ride-hailing service.

Tensor is developing a Level 4 autonomous vehicle designed for both individual use and professional fleets. 

The platform - which company offices are in Barcelona, Singapore, and Dubai for its mobility offering that is supported by proprietary software and IoT infrastructure - natively integrates ride-hailing features, sensor cleaning systems, and software updates.

According to Tensor, this partnership aims to make autonomous driving accessible and offer a premium, safe, and efficient experience to Marti users. 

For Marti, the goal is to solidify its position as an innovator in connected urban mobility and to assess the benefits of autonomous driving in terms of safety, availability, and potentially, cost per trip. 

"As the leading urban mobility platform in Turkey, Marti has frequently introduced new connected services," said Marti founder and CEO, Oguz Alper Oktem. 

"With Tensor, we are working to introduce autonomous driving in Turkey. With our field teams, infrastructure, and approximately 7.8 million unique users combined, we are well-positioned to support a rapid and safe deployment."

Actual deployment will depend on local permits and operating conditions in Turkey. Tensor notes that it has achieved two regulatory milestones in California - one being it became the second company to receive a CPUC permit for public RoboTaxi testing (2019) and the third DMV permit to operate a fully driverless vehicle (2020) after Waymo and Nuro.

Founded in 2016 in Silicon Valley and based in San Jose, Tensor presents itself as one of the first companies to have designed a Level 4 autonomous vehicle intended for both private ownership and fleet operation.