Electreon (TASE: ELWS) has successfully completed the construction of a groundbreaking wireless charging terminal for parked urban electric buses (e-buses), marking a world first in the field of this innovative charging technology. The commercial project, delivered to Electra Afikim, a prominent public transportation operator in Israel, located in Rosh HaAyin in the center of the country, and supplies stationary wireless charging to the e-buses during the night and day, in parking bays at the public bus terminal in a distributed energy model.
Oren Ezer, CEO of Electreon, expressed excitement about the project, stating, “We are pleased to introduce to the world the first wireless charging terminal of this kind here in Israel, enabling efficient, cost-effective, and space-saving wireless charging for public transit buses in a busy urban zone. This innovative facility is designed to provide wireless charging for electric buses throughout the day and night, serving the public as part of regular public transportation services in the Petah Tikva and Rosh HaAyin areas.”
Electreon managed the entire terminal project, from end-to-end, encompassing electrical infrastructure, required approvals, and civil engineering works. The company also implemented its advanced charging software platform to remotely manage and oversee wireless charging of the fleet vehicles at the terminal.
In addition to the technical, operational and commercial achievement of delivering this pioneering project, Electreon partnered with three leading international bus manufacturers that were selected by the client, Electra Afikim, HIGER, Ankai, and Sunwin. These automotive manufacturers fully integrated Electreon’s vehicle receivers into their electric buses, and with HIGER and Ankai completing the full European Union’s (EU) WVTA approval process, a significant step in establishing the company’s wireless electric bus receiver as an off-the-shelf product available to the entire automotive industry.
The fully commercial project, valued at approximately 5.8 million ILS (approximately 1.6 million USD) for 2023, includes payments for software services, operations, and maintenance over the project’s duration. Electra Afikim, one of Israel’s major public transportation operators, manages around 500 bus service lines across the country, covering 40 million miles annually and transporting 51 million passengers.
At the project launch event, attended by the Minister of Transport, Mr. Ezer, conveyed gratitude to Electra Afikim, the Ministry of Transportation, and the National Road Safety Authority for selecting their solution. He anticipates widespread benefits from the technology, envisioning Israel as a leader in implementing sustainable transportation technologies.
Tal Cohen, CEO of Electra Afikim, stated, “Electra Afikim welcomes being the first company to operate a fleet of electric buses with Electreon’s technology and thanks the Ministry of Transportation, Rosh HaAyin Municipality and Electreon for the cooperation in operating smart and advanced transportation as the company’s vision.”
Rosh HaAyin Mayor Shalom Ben Moshe, also spoke at the launch event, “Rosh HaAyin is among the first cities in Israel to have electric buses. This is important news for the city. We are promoting green public transportation in the city with the aim of reducing air pollution and continuing to improve the quality of life of the residents and the environment. The arrival of the electric buses to the city is the fruit of the hard work of the municipality as part of our ongoing public transportation improvement policies in the city. I thank the Ministry of Transportation for supporting our vision for wireless charging. I believe that these innovative electric buses will truly serve our residents and we will continue to work so that all buses in the city will operate with this innovative technology.”
This milestone underscores Electreon’s technological prowess and its pivotal role in transforming the global electric mobility landscape with its innovative and sustainable technology to power-up and accelerate EV adoptions. The successful completion of this stationary wireless charging project comes in the backdrop of a multitude of technical and commercial successes for Electreon this year.
To mention just a few recent milestones: in the summer the company won its first tender in France, for its wireless Electric Road technology on a highway near Paris. The country’s Ministry of Transport concluded that Electric Roads could reduce CO2 emissions from road freight transport by 86% compared to diesel, and 60% more compared to heavy-duty trucks carrying very large battery packs and recharging at fast charging stations on-route, and proposed to build 6,000 miles of electrified highways by 2035.
Last week was also particularly busy for the company. It announced that its proprietary wireless alignment methodology was selected by the SAE to be the universal, global industry standard. Additionally, closer to home in Michigan, the company unveiled the nation’s first public EV-charging roadway, in a widely covered project launch activities involving Detroit Mayor – Mike Duggan, and Michigan Governor, Gretchen Witmer, together with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the City of Detroit, Ford Motor Co, and its many other project partners.
The company’s frequent and significant announcements from Europe, Asia and North America throughout this year exemplify Electreon’s growing market traction, and show the company’s vision to empower seamless, sustainable and decarbonized transportation globally, is beginning to materialize.