Chinese manufacturer BYD will provide its electric buses to Israeli transit operator Dan Bus. The eventual goal is to replace about half of Dan Bus's fleet of 1,300 buses and minibuses.

Israel has been ahead of the pack when it comes to electrification. Now the city of Tel Aviv is set to deploy the country’s first full-size electric buses. Chinese manufacturer BYD will provide its electric buses to transit operator Dan Bus through BYD’s local distributor Clal Motors. The eventual goal is to replace about half of Dan Bus's fleet of 1,300 buses and minibuses.

Clal Motors CEO Doron Vadai said, "BYD's electric bus is the perfect solution for the city of Tel Aviv, reducing both emissions and noise for the benefit of the citizens of Tel Aviv. This pilot will make DAN one of the pioneers in the zero emission public transportation era in the world."

BYD’s Henry Li added, "Our electric bus has proven that it not only significantly reduces pollution and noise in cities, but it has also significantly cut the operating expenses versus natural-gas and conventional diesel buses. Our electric bus has been tested in many different countries. We are confident it will suit the local operating conditions and hope to deliver more and more to Israel in the near future."

The 12-meter long BYD electric bus has a range of 250 km (155 miles) on a charge in urban conditions, sufficient for an entire shift on most of Dan's routes. It features an iron phosphate battery, which contains no heavy metals or toxic electrolytes; a proprietary rear drive axle; and an AC charging system that can also transmit electricity into the grid from the batteries. BYD electric buses are now in regular service in several cities in China, Europe and North America.

Image: BYD