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🇮🇱 Israel /Environment & Climate

All city buses in Eilat, Kiryat Shmona to be replaced with electric ones by end of 2026

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Egged and the Transportation Ministry plan to replace all city buses in Eilat and Kiryat Shmona with electric models by the end of 2026.
  • This initiative expands the Green Cities project, which aims to transition Israeli cities to exhaust-free public transportation.
  • While electric buses are being deployed, challenges remain for intercity travel due to battery range limitations, with advancements in battery technology anticipated.

Israel is accelerating its commitment to environmental sustainability with ambitious plans to electrify public transportation in its southernmost and northernmost cities. By the end of 2026, both Eilat and Kiryat Shmona will see their entire city bus fleets replaced with electric vehicles, marking a significant step in the national Green Cities project.

By year’s end, Egged will operate 900 electric buses in Israel, including 200 intercity buses.

Provides a key statistic on the scale of electric bus deployment in Israel.

This expansion builds on previous successful implementations in cities like Carmiel and Dimona. In Eilat, all approximately 40 city buses will be swapped out, with the new electric buses already en route. Similarly, Kiryat Shmona will deploy around 20 electric buses. The Transportation Ministry has a clear directive: no new diesel-powered city buses will be purchased in Israel from 2026 onwards, a policy Egged has already been adhering to for over two years.

Currently, about 40 city buses operate in Eilat, all of which will be replaced with electric buses by the end of the year.

Details the specific number of buses to be replaced in Eilat.

While the transition is progressing, the practicalities of electric bus technology, particularly for intercity routes, are still being navigated. The extreme heat in Eilat was a factor in a pilot program testing vehicle endurance and battery efficiency. For longer, continuous journeys, current electric buses with 500 kWh batteries have range limitations. The ministry and Egged are looking towards future advancements, such as solid-state batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, to overcome these hurdles for intercity travel.

Twenty buses to be operated in Kiryat Shmona.

Specifies the number of electric buses planned for Kiryat Shmona.

This move is not just about environmental consciousness; it also has economic implications. The increasing cost of fossil fuels, exacerbated by geopolitical events like the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, makes the daily operation of electric buses more cost-effective. Egged has already adapted its operational systems, including expanding depot teams for overnight charging and implementing computerized monitoring, to ensure the smooth integration of these new vehicles.

From 2026 onward, no new diesel-powered city buses would be purchased in Israel.

Highlights the government's policy regarding the phase-out of diesel buses.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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