Egged, Supergas and Man presented today the first compressed natural gas (CNG) bus that will be run for a trial period of three months in a partnership with Man Company. At this stage of the project the bus will be operated on special routes and only in the region of Haifa.
In addition to higher environmental friendliness through lower emissions, this bus is also an economically attractive alternative.
Mr. Nir Landau, the Head of Egged Logistic Maintenance & Purchasing Division said: "The usage of compressed natural gas is considered 'green' and reduces the emissions from the engine. In addition, it significantly reduces operating cost and can achieve significant cost savings. The amount of energy produced by an engine from one liter of diesel is equivalent to one kilo of gas in one hour. However, the cost of natural gas is cheaper by 30 percent.
Egged is the first public transport operator in Israel that examines natural gas-powered buses. In the coming weeks, we are going to test the bus under various road and traffic conditions. If it is decided to purchase gas-powered buses Egged will have to be prepared for the construction of natural gas filling stations and infrastructure".