Sourcing Renewables  -  October 8, 2021

Israeli Bus Company Pursues Wireless EV Charging for 200 Buses

A bus company operating in Israel signed onto a project on Oct. 4 that will expand its wireless electric vehicle charging network in Tel Aviv and the wider metropolitan area.

Dan Bus Company completed a 5-year deal with ElectReon worth $9.4 million USD to increase the wireless charging infrastructure at operational city bus stations and within connected buses. Once completed, the project will give wireless charging capability to 200 buses.

ElectReon will provide the charging service, while Dan will pay a monthly fee for the complete charging service stack through ElectReon’s Charging-as-a-Service model. The project will allow Dan to reduce vehicle downtime by allowing active charging at bus stations between trips while passengers board and disembark. Dan Bus Company estimates that, during an average operating day of 19 hours, this technology could provide around 30% of their vehicle’s daily energy needs when deployed during such regular downtime.

The first phase of the project will include the installation of wireless charging systems in 100 buses and at the major public transport terminal, Reading, in North Tel Aviv. The second phase should take place within two years and include the expansion of the technology to other major terminals in Tel Aviv and southern Israel so that 200 buses are able to be wirelessly charged.

The two companies will also pursue the possibility of an additional project in which ElectReon installs charging technology for the rest of the bus fleet and in Dan’s highway project ‘Netivei Ayalon.”

“In order to turn Dan's public transportation network in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area into a fully electric network, the company is currently establishing a charging infrastructure system and support for one of the largest public transportation operators in the region. We have tested ElectReon's technology and it has proven to be suitable for top-up charging at operational terminals as part of our day-to-day operations and workflows,” Ofir Karni, CEO of Dan Bus Company, said in a statement. “This advanced technology is expected to enable our electric fleet to achieve greater range and extended operational hours while flattening peak energy consumption loads from overnight depot charging and simultaneously, allow us to maintain our essential maneuvering space and operational flexibility at our terminals.”