Plug-in electric busses are gaining in popularity in public transport around the world. And with the rise in solar energies, electric transport is not only cleaner at the local level, but also helps to reduce overall carbon emissions. One country whose transport system involves very little railways and which therefore is ideally suited for e-busses is Israel. And here too, solar is on the rise.
Generally speaking, the Chinese manufacturer BYD is most well-known for their batteries and related technologies. But they also heavily focus on electric mobility and transport. And now they are increasingly delivering their vehicles to markets beyond China. One of these is Israel.
First Haifa, now Jerusalem
BYD had already supplied a fleet of their eBusses to the Israeli transport operator Egged in 2017 – that time to the northern city of Haifa. The current delivery of ten two-door, low-floor electric busses will go into service on Egged’s route 15 in Jerusalem following a hand-over ceremony earlier last week. These latest deliveries also provide evidence that BYD’s eBus is well-capable of performing in a wide range of climates – from the hot, arid conditions of Israel, to the cold, wintry environments often encountered in Scandinavia.
Receiving the new BYD fleet were the Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon, alongside the Chairman of Egged, Avi Fridman. Mr Fridman said, “Egged is happy to be part of the change toward electric transportation in Jerusalem. Egged sees BYD as a strategic partner on this important path.”
Fully emissions-free mobility
Mayor Leon went on the emphasise the important role that electric mobility will play in Jerusalem’s public transport system. Also in attendance at the hand-over was Asi Shmeltzer, Chairman of the Shlomo Group, and Doron Vadai, CEO at BYD’s importership in Israel, Shlomo Motors. “The eBus fleet is growing in Jerusalem, as public transport in the city starts moving towards fully emissions-free, electric mobility,” said Mr Shmeltzer. “The existing fleet of BYD single decks – delivered in 2017 – have performed reliably, delivering high levels of productivity for Egged and appealing to our passengers. This latest, larger fleet of electric busses will make Jerusalem even cleaner, and I am sure other local authorities will be paying close attention to the performance of BYD’s eBusses in operation.” (mfo)
