Will Israel Be Weaned Off Gasoline?

Is it possible that Israel will be weaned off gasoline and switched to alternative energy?

More than 2,200 participants, among them leading automobile manufacturers and energy companies, scientists and policy makers from more than 30 countries, participated in the prime minister’s conference for fuel alternatives and smart transportation, which took place for the fourth year in Tel Aviv last week. At the conference, Israel’s position as a leader in the area of alternative fuels and smart transportation was touted, proven by a peak interest in technology and Israeli initiatives in the field by international entities.

Eyal Rosner, head of the alternative fuel administration in the Prime Minister’s Office, said that “there is peak interest by automobile and energy companies in Israel and this event was a platform to expand ties between Israeli and international companies.”

The conference included a special panel on autonomous vehicles, with a presentation by executives of BMW and Mobileye appearing for the first time together since the companies announced the development of an autonomous vehicle in cooperation with Intel. During the conference, a prototype of the FIAT 500-M15 was also presented. It was developed jointly by Fiat and Chrysler, Dor Chemicals and the national program for alternative fuels. The car can run on all kinds of liquid fuel, such as methanol, made from natural gas, which may be the first liquid gasoline produced in Israel.