Egged's revolution: Chinese transport giants enter the Israeli market
The Egged Group and Auto Chen are establishing a joint venture with the Chinese transport giant CRRC. This move will bring next-generation transport to Israel's roads, ranging from electric minibuses to 26-meter-long mega-buses, alongside a full import and maintenance system. The deal is subject to approval by the Competition Authority.
A revolution in public transport: The Egged Group and Auto Chen (of the Blilious Group) are joining forces with the Chinese transport giant CRRC in a joint venture aimed at bringing the next generation of transport to Israel and Europe: from high-capacity electric buses 26 meters long, to advanced charging infrastructure, and eventually to autonomous buses.
The partnership will establish a full end-to-end Israeli framework, including imports, service, maintenance, a spare parts network, and a significant breakthrough into the European market. Completion of the deal is subject to approval by the Competition Authority.
CRRC, founded in 2015 following the merger of CSR and CNR, is considered one of the global transport giants and one of the world's largest companies in the field of transport equipment and railways. The company operates in more than 100 countries, runs 46 subsidiaries, and employs over 150,000 people. In 2025, its revenues totaled about $38 billion, net profit stood at about $2 billion, and its investment in research and development reached about $3 billion. The company's shares are traded on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
CRRC's strength comes alongside advanced capabilities in electric propulsion and electronics. Its electrical components factory alone produces about 1.5 million electric motors per year for the Chinese automotive industry. Since entering the bus manufacturing field in 2006, the company has sold more than 85,000 buses, and in 2026 it is expected to increase production volume to about 7,000 buses per year.
From electric buses to autonomous vehicles
The CRRC EV arm produces a wide range of electric buses, from minibuses to an advanced, bi-articulated BRT vehicle, 26 meters long and with high capacity. The vehicle is expected to arrive in Israel soon as part of a Ministry of Transport call for proposals, and will be operated by the Superbus company on the Metronit service in Haifa.
The joint venture combines the commercial experience of Auto Chen - which has sold over 4,000 Golden Dragon buses in the last decade - with the broad operational infrastructure and experience of Egged. The Egged Group also includes Mobilis (Poland), EBS (Netherlands), and TOKS (Lithuania).
The Egged Group has a network of garages that leads in knowledge and innovation in the maintenance of buses. The Egged Group also owns real estate assets nationwide worth over 1.2 billion NIS.
Gilad Riklin, CEO of the Egged Group, said:
"The connection with Auto Chen and CRRC combines first-rate experience, capabilities, and infrastructure with industrial and technological power on a global scale. This is a move that allows us to introduce advanced transport products and solutions to Israel, while simultaneously building a significant growth platform in other markets."
Udi Adiri, CEO of the Blilious Group, added: "We see the partnership with Egged as an opportunity to strengthen and promote the CRRC brand in Israel and beyond. Combining forces will allow the introduction of the company's products to a variety of markets in Europe, alongside promoting innovation in the Israeli transport market."
Gilad Dagan, VP of Business Development at the Egged Group, noted that the goal is to establish infrastructure for significant activity in both the Israeli and European markets. David Ohana, CEO of Auto Chen Mobility, emphasized that the partnership provides customers with a comprehensive solution, from product import to service and support throughout the vehicle's life.
