Egged Group and China’s CRRC form joint venture for bus transport

Egged Group, Auto Chen Mobility (part of the Belilios Group), and the Chinese transport giant CRRC have formed a joint venture to import, market, and maintain a new generation of buses in Israel and potentially European markets.

The partnership focuses on a wide range of vehicles, including electric minibuses and high-capacity 26-meter bi-articulated buses. These large-scale vehicles are expected to be utilized in Israel, including for the Haifa metro network via Superbus.

The collaboration combines Egged’s operational infrastructure and maintenance expertise with CRRC’s manufacturing capabilities. However, the involvement of CRRC carries geopolitical complexities; the Chinese state-owned company has previously been blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce and the Pentagon due to links with the Chinese defense industry. This has led to past pressure from the US and the Israeli National Security Council to limit Chinese participation in critical infrastructure projects.