In about two weeks: Bnei Brak will be the first in Gush Dan with electric buses

February 20, 2023   

The electric bus revolution is gaining momentum: Starting March 1, Bnei Brak will be the first city in Israel where all urban transportation will be operated by electric buses. Yesterday, Minister of Transportation and Road Safety Miri Regev inaugurated one of the largest electric campuses in Israel and the world. This is part of the electrification revolution led by the Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety in public transportation. The new electric campus - "Operation Kadesh", established by Dan, is the only one in the country designed entirely for charging electric buses. The complex, in the construction of which approximately 40 million shekels were invested, is located near the Ramat Gan Stadium and covers an area of ​​11 dunams. The complex includes 120 fast-charging stations, and allows charging of 120 buses simultaneously. Dan will establish approximately 500 more charging stations in four additional parking lots, which will serve the fleet of electric buses that the company will equip in the coming years. The charging complex is being established as part of the Ministry of Transportation's plan to develop public transportation centers that will support the expansion of service and the conversion of the national bus fleet to electric. The ministry is currently in the process of implementing 25 additional central stations, terminals, and electric parking lots. As part of the electrification revolution led by the Ministry of Transportation, over 500 new electric buses will be put into service this year, joining the approximately 600 electric buses already in operation today. By 2026, more than 2,500 electric buses will be operating in Israel, constituting more than 50% of the municipal fleet in the country. The complex is connected to the high-voltage electricity grid through six transformer rooms, and the size of the electrical connection is 760KVA. The complex includes 62 DC chargers for fast charging with a power of 180 kW, with a dual output that allows charging two buses simultaneously. The buses that are charged in the parking lot will operate in the city of Bnei Brak and will contribute to improving the quality of service and the quality of the environment, and to reducing pollutant emissions. The charging is managed by an advanced charging management system, which allows full control over the charging process and allows prioritization based on operational criteria, including the time the bus enters the parking lot, the percentage of the bus's battery, the work schedule for the next day, and more. Minister of Transportation, Miri Regev: "Last week, we laid a cornerstone for the construction of a new central electric bus station in the city of Ashkelon, and today we are taking another step towards the vision of green public transportation, with quiet and clean electric propulsion and no pollutant emissions. Bnei Brak is one of the cities where the use of public transportation is among the largest in the country, and it is only symbolic that it will be the first to enjoy clean and quiet electric transportation." "I intend to take action in all ways to encourage the use of public transportation through affordable fares, improved service, high frequency, and the establishment of transportation centers that integrate all means of transportation with optimal connectivity between them. Along with all of this, I will work to accelerate the transition to clean electric propulsion, which will improve the travel experience and the quality of life and environment for all road users. Efficient and attractive public transportation is the only solution to getting out of traffic jams - and this is our goal for the coming years." Dan CEO Ofir Karni: "Dan has set itself an ambitious goal of electrifying its entire bus fleet by 2030. In order to enable this goal to be realized, the company is building a logistical, technological, and human infrastructure. The company's investments in the field will enable the operation of the electric fleet by training appropriate personnel, building maintenance capabilities for the electric fleet, and also building a smart, energy-intensive charging infrastructure that will be used by the electric transportation system.".