Egged Partners with Chinese Transport Giant CRRC to Import and Market Buses in Israel and Europe
Egged Group and Otto Chen Mobility from the Belilios Group announced on Thursday the launch of a joint venture to import, market, and sell buses manufactured by the Chinese transportation giant CRRC. The partnership aims to establish a comprehensive and long-term operation in Israel centered on CRRC products, while also collaborating with the manufacturer to develop additional markets and activities across European countries.
Founded in 2015, CRRC operates in over 100 countries, runs 46 subsidiaries, and employs more than 150,000 people. In 2025, the company reported revenues of approximately $38 billion, a net profit of around $2 billion, and invested about $3 billion in research and development. Since entering the bus manufacturing sector in 2006, CRRC has sold over 85,000 buses and produced about 6,000 buses in 2025 alone.
Despite its global reach, CRRC faces challenges due to its ties to the Chinese government and military industry. The U.S. government has blacklisted CRRC and some of its subsidiaries, restricting their participation in public tenders in the U.S. and parts of Europe. In Israel, CRRC encountered difficulties after winning the tender for the Tel Aviv Red Line light rail but was pressured by the U.S. and Israeli National Security Council to reduce Chinese involvement in critical infrastructure. Consequently, CRRC-backed groups failed to secure tenders for the Green and Purple light rail lines, which were awarded to European and Israeli companies. Similar U.S. pressure blocked CRRC's bid for Jerusalem's Blue Line, leading to a compromise where CRRC supplied carriages manufactured in a Western country.
Egged is not the only Israeli operator expected to work with CRRC products. CRRC EV, a subsidiary, produces a range of electric buses, including unique minibuses already imported to Israel and an advanced 26-meter articulated BRT vehicle soon to be introduced for Haifa's Metronit service by Superbus. Otto Chen brings extensive experience in import, marketing, and service, having sold over 4,000 Golden Dragon buses in the past decade. Egged contributes a broad operational infrastructure and years of experience managing diverse bus fleets in Israel and Europe.
