TEL AVIV PREPARES NEW ELECTRIC PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

By Rachel Max ‘24
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    Tel Aviv is working to create a form of public transportation wirelessly charged by the road to improve air quality and save the earth.
    “Our strategic action plan to prepare for climate change has placed the fight against pollution at the top of the municipality’s environmental agenda,” Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai said.

   The new plan will employ copper coils under the roads that connect to the electricity grid, and vehicles wil​l have built-in receivers. Electric vehicles will be able to drive while still being charged. Those developing the system are currently focused on buses, planning to complete a sample very, and there are hopes to expand into other modes of transportation. 
    A spokesperson for Tel Aviv told CNN Business, “the last few days have been spent constructing the road. Testing and trial runs will be required in the coming weeks before commencing regular operations.”
   The goal of the project is to improve air quality by cutting down on the pollution produced by buses. Diesel engines, which most buses run on, put out particulates, essentially soot. Particulates are potentially dangerous to inhale and certainly pollute the air.
The United States Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy said “[electric vehicles] can… reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change and smog, improving public health and reducing ecological damage.”
   Due to the electrified roads, there will also be less need for electric car charging stations, allowing the country to skip the expensive, time consuming, and polluting job of building charging stations all over the country.
   “Relying on direct charging of vehicles from the road itself will remove the need to establish charging stations or be operationally bound to terminals,” Meital Lehavi, the deputy mayor for transportation at the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, said.
Electric engines also are quieter than diesel engines. While the difference might seem negligible for those who live near busy streets, especially highways, it could make a huge difference in other neighborhoods.
    Price is another factor when exploring non-traditional electric solutions. There are few electric cars on the market and while their prices are decreasing, they are still expensive. On average, a normal diesel car costs $36,600 and the average for an electric car is $55,600. Switching the road system is a potentially more cost-effective way of going green.
Israel isn’t the first place to try to make electrical public transportation. In 1936, Cambridge, Mass. came out with the trolley bus. It worked like a trolley but had wheels and antennas that connected to overhead electrical lines rather than typical tracks.
    With the building of roads that are charged with electricity, Israel is turning into a prime location to sell electric vehicles. With Israel’s implementation of an electrical public transportation system with many charging stations, the country is a clear candidate for this road system.