Electreon Signs Deal With Israel’s 4th Largest Bus Operator For Wireless Charging

Israeli electric vehicle (EV) charging company Electreon, signed a $1.9 million agreement with Israel’s fourth-largest bus operator Electra Afikim, to supply its signature wireless, dynamic charging infrastructure to facilitate the simultaneous charging of 30 buses, the company announced on Monday. 

As per the agreement, Electreon will provide maintenance, support, and operation services for the next 12 years, and Electra Afikim, with its roughly 1,400 bus fleet, will bear the cost of the electricity.

The signed commercial deal follows the National Public Transportation Authority’s call for proposals for public transport operators to acquire and establish infrastructure to electrify bus fleets as part of its ban on the introduction of polluting buses from 2025 onward. As such, the Ministry of Transportation invested approximately $2.9 million in the project, alongside the support of the Rosh Ha’Ayin municipality’s policy to promote clean electric mobility in the quickly growing city. 

This is Electreon’s second signed commercial agreement in Israel, coming approximately seven months after it signed a similar deal with the Dan bus company in October 2021, which included the sale of wireless charging services for 200 buses. 

Founded in 2013, ElectReon has developed a system to inductively charge electric vehicles (EVs) while in full motion using copper coils placed under the middle lane of the road. The coils are covered by the pavement and powered by an underground system with charging performed by a receiver or multiple receivers installed under the vehicle. Instead of carrying heavy batteries with a limited driving range and a short lifespan, electric vehicles would receive continuous power while being driven on these smart roads.

The company’s goal is to allow EVs to carry smaller batteries, or maybe none at all, making them lighter and more efficient, as well as reducing the environmental costs of battery production.

“2022 is Electreon’s year of transition from planning, development and construction of supply chains towards large-scale production and sales,” said Oren Ezer, CEO of Electreon. “The wireless static charging project signed with Electra Afikim is a model that the company intends to replicate in many cities around the world, along with dynamic wireless charging. Electreon continues to significantly increase its production capacity in order to be ready for the rapid construction of projects in the pipeline and future projects.”

“As a leading public transportation company, we are turning towards green energy,” Oded Cohen, CEO of Electra Afikim. “Since the transition to electrification depends on the allocation of infrastructure, powerful grid connections, and prolonged bureaucracy, we were happy to partner with Electreon, which offers a more cost-effective and accessible alternative to charging electric buses. Electra Afikim already operates 25 electric buses on unique BRT lines in the city of Ashdod as part of a sustainable city project and strives to expand the use of green energy buses. This strategy is in line with Electra Group’s sustainable activities on various levels over the past years. We thank the National Public Transport Authority for promoting the agreement as part of its policy to electrify public transportation.”