Workshop on Electrification of Passenger Cars and Heavy-Duty Vehicles

On 30 October 2025, the German-Israeli Energy Partnership hosted an online workshop on the electrification of passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles. Experts from both countries shared insights on market developments, regulatory frameworks, and practical implementation challenges. The event began with welcoming remarks by Mrs.  Anne Jacobs-Schleithoff, Head of Division Middle East/North Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Mr. Ron Eifer, Deputy Director General and Head of the Sustainable Energy Department at the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. 

The first session opened with an overview of the challenges and solutions for installing charging infrastructure in residential buildings by Mr. Nahum Yehoshua, Head of Clean Transport Department at the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, followed by an update on the current status of Israel’s electric car market by Mr. Chen Herzog, Partner and Chief Economist of BDO Consulting Israel. The next impulse from Mr. Axel Blume, Head of Department Mobility at the German Energy Agency, covered the ramp-up of EVs and charging infrastructure in Germany as well as the regulatory landscape shaped by the 2035 phase-out of internal-combustion vehicle sales. 

The second session focused on public transport and logistics. Mr. Nir Mosche, VP Regulation & Transport at Gnrgy and Former Senior Director of Public Transport Policy at the Israeli Ministry of Transport shared practical lessons from the electrification of municipal bus fleets, including depot planning, grid-connection processes, regulatory hurdles, and the upcoming requirement mandating the purchase of electric buses from 2026. Germany contributed two complementary inputs on heavy-duty vehicle electrification: an overview of market trends, infrastructure needs, and regulatory drivers from the “Platform for Sustainable Heavy-Duty Transportation” at the German Energy Agency, followed by an industry perspective DHL’s CleanOPS Technology Center, who reported on the company’s extensive experiences with electric trucks. 

This workshop is part of the ongoing bilateral cooperation to advance climate-friendly mobility and strengthen knowledge exchange between Israel and Germany.