Electreon, the leading provider of wireless and in-road electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, has signed an agreement of cooperation with the public transportation company Electra Afikim. As part of the agreement, Electreon will provide Electra Afikim with wireless charging infrastructure that will enable simultaneous charging of 30 buses, 24 hours a day. The deal is a result of a call for proposals issued by Israel’s National Public Transportation Authority in the Ministry of Transportation to public transport operators, to procure and establish infrastructure to electrify buses. The ministry was a partner in arranging the parking lot for electric charging with the Rosh HaAyin municipality, and invested about $2.9 million in the project.
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As part of the agreement Electreon will provide maintenance, support and operation services for the next 12 years. The cost of the deal is $1.9 million; it will cover the fleet’s activity, and includes 30 buses. In addition, Electra Afikim will bear the cost of the electricity. Electra Afikim is the fourth largest bus operator in Israel with roughly 1,400 buses. The municipality of Rosh Hain played a key role in the agreement as part of it policy to promote clean electric transportation in the rapidly growing city
This is the second commercial deal signed by Electreon in Israel. The previous, with Dan bus company in October 2021, and includes the sale of wireless charging services for 200 buses. The company estimates that the Electra Afikim agreement has potential for future expansion, including a significant chance of replication with other operators from Israel and abroad. The deal was done in accordance with the Ministry of Transportation’s decision to change the face of public transportation in Israel, as part of its ban on the introduction of polluting buses from 2025.
The support of the Ministry of Transportation is important especially since the ministry is the entity that finances the public transportation activity in Israel, and the entity that approved the use of Electreon’s wireless charging. The approval given will allow Israeli public transportation operators to duplicate the project and quickly promote green transportation in Israel. “As a leading public transportation company, we are turning towards green energy,” Oded Cohen, CEO of Electra Afikim.