As part of the Green Cities project, Egged and the Transportation Ministry are planning to shift two more cities away from standard fuel buses and to exhaust-free public transportation by the end of 2026.
By year’s end, Egged will operate 900 electric buses in Israel, including 200 intercity buses.
After implementing the intiative in Carmiel and Dimona around years ago, Egged and the Transportation Ministry are now expanding the initiative to Israel’s geographic extremes: Eilat in the south and Kiryat Shmona in the north.
Currently, about 40 city buses operate in Eilat, all of which will be replaced with electric buses by the end of the year. The buses have already been purchased and are on their way to Israel.
Over the past year, two electric buses were driven around as part of a pilot program to test the vehicles’ endurance in the city’s extreme heat, which can affect battery efficiency.
Charging infrastructure will be installed at Egged’s operational depot in the industrial area, funded by the Transportation Ministry. The ministry also aims to extend these routes from the city proper to the nearby Ramon Airport.
Twenty buses to be operated in Kiryat Shmona
In Kiryat Shmona, approximately 20 electric buses will be deployed.
The Transportation and Environmental Protection ministries agreed several years ago that from 2026 onward, no new diesel-powered city buses would be purchased in Israel. Due to a shortage of charging stations, the ministry allowed occasional diesel purchases this year. Egged, however, stopped buying diesel city buses over two years ago.
However, the transition is still mostly limited to suburban routes.
Although electric buses with 500 kWh batteries already exist, comparable to eight electric hybrids, their range remains limited for intercity travel, which is faster, consumes more electricity, and operates continuously with far less regenerative braking.
For now, electric intercity buses are used only on suburban routes with frequent stops, and it will take several more years before they can operate on longer routes. When that happens, they may feature solid-state batteries or fuel cells generating electricity from hydrogen.
Haifa was the first city where Egged introduced its fleet of electric buses, about five years ago, following an extended pilot test.
Preparations proved effective, and Egged modified its operational system: the night depot now has an expanded team ensuring that the buses are fully charged for the morning, in addition to computerized monitoring systems.
The bus’s battery capacity declines gradually as planned, but the bus continues to operate normally.
Egged to operate over 900 electric buses in Israel
Daily operation is cheaper, especially following the price of fuel increasing with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, though the company is still evaluating whether battery replacements beyond the manufacturer’s warranty will be required to complete the full economic calculation.
“Electrifying public transportation is one of the most strategic projects taking place in Israel in recent years, and Egged is leading it,” said Nir Landau, Egged’s Executive VP of Administration. “In cooperation with the Public Transport Authority, we will operate more than 900 electric buses by the end of the year, and that is only part of the picture: As a group, including our operations in Europe, we will reach more than 1,500 electric buses.”
“The pinnacle of this initiative is the ‘Green Cities’ project. We have already turned Dimona and Carmiel into cities where all urban transportation is fully electric, and now we continue: south to Eilat, north to Kiryat Shmona. This is a real revolution.”
“The electric buses are comfortable, quiet, and clean, and that is what residents of these cities will experience by the end of this year,” he added.
