Mayor Nahum Hofree:  “Raanana is proud to lead the way by presenting a suitable and important alternative to the use of polluting energy, as part of its environmental commitment and vision”

The  Raanana Municipality is the first local authority in the Sharon region to begin installing an infrastructure for charging electric vehicles in the city, as part of its sustainability activity and its great investment in protecting the environment.

According to an agreement signed at the beginning of November, between Mayor Nahum Hofree  and Better Place Israel CEO, Moshe Kaplinsky, the company will deploy dozens of “charge spots”  in central locations in the city, such as the Municipal Tennis Center, the Lev Hapark Community Center, the Municipal Swimming Pool, the Kiryat Etgarim HI-Tech Park and on streets in the city center.

At the beginning of January, the Better Place CEO will visit Raanana, and tour its streets, in preparation for the deployment of the charging infrastructure.

The Raanana Municipality is also considering the option of replacing its municipal car fleet with hybrid cars, thereby making an additional contribution by demonstrating an alternative that uses clean energy.  Mayor Nahum Hofree purchased a hybrid car two years ago, providing a personal example!

This agreement is a facet of the municipal vision of improving the climate and protecting precious natural resources and it is designed to offer transportation solutions that are environmentally friendly.  Similarly, the municipal education system is running its “Walking to School Together” Project for the 2nd year, in which hundreds of elementary students walk to and from school each day, in an effort to reduce traffic and air pollution and to encourage the younger generation to maintain a healthy and green lifestyle.  The city’s bicycle lanes and the walking route with tips for a healthy lifestyle created by Macabi Healthcare Service are also part of this effort.

Mayor Nahum Hofree:  “Raanana is at the forefront of environmental activity and is proud to lead the way and offer a suitable and important alternative to the use of polluting energy, as part of its environmental commitment and vision.”

Better Place Israel CEO, General (Res) Moshe Kaplinsky:  “There is no doubt that this step taken by the Municipality will enable the city’s residents to move over to the next generation of non-polluting cars in a convenient and accessible manner.  In addition to the municipal charging infrastructure, residents can also install charge spots in their private parking areas.”

Raanana is one of Israel’s pioneer cities in the field of environmental activity and is proud to be the first city in Israel to recycle DVDs and CDs, plastic bags, and expired medications.  It has installed special blue garbage cans for recycling paper of all kinds, in the city’s apartment buildings, in cooperation with the Amnir Company.  Last month, the municipality inaugurated the Raanana Green Ring Project, the first of its kind, to create a green ring of trees surrounding the city.  Stage one is underway and 150 trees that do not require much watering have been planted in the hi-tech park in the northern section of the city.