For the first time, electric buses will be assembled at Israel’s industrial plants and will compete with electric buses imported from abroad, Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Monday.

The Ministry of Transportation has approved a prototype of an electric bus that was assembled in bus assembly plants in Israel, Haargaz and Merkavim, within the framework of Katz’s plan to encourage the electric bus industry in Israel and to increase competition in the sector.

The prototype of the electric bus was approved by the Ministry of Transport’s Vehicle Division and the Technion, as well as the Standards Institution of Israel. With the approval of the prototype, the new bus was registered in the Israel Bus Registration and from now on it can be manufactured and marketed to public transport companies as well as to private companies.

In recent years, complete electric buses manufactured by Chinese companies have been imported to Israel. Recently, following the cooperation between the company “Auto Chen”, which is the importer of “Golden Dragon”, and “Argaz” and Merkavim, with the latter two being ‘Blue & White’ companies, are approved to now compete in the electric bus market towards strengthening the local industry.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)