Former president Rivlin reportedly set to join ‘smart road’ tech company

Former president Reuven Rivlin has decided to join tech firm ElectReon to serve as its president, according to a Wednesday report.

Rivlin, Israel’s 10th president, left office last month when his term expired. He was replaced by Isaac Herzog.

ElectReon produces smart roads that can wirelessly charge electric vehicles while they are driving or parked.

Rivlin has decided to dedicate a significant amount of his time to the struggle against climate change. He received a number of job offers after leaving office, and chose ElectReon due to its environmentally friendly impact, the unsourced Channel 12 report said.

Aimed at reducing air pollution, the company’s electric road system does away with the need for recharging stations.

According to ElectReon’s website, a system of copper coils is laid beneath the asphalt to transfer energy from the electricity grid to the road and to manage communication with approaching vehicles. Receivers are installed on the floor of the vehicles to transmit the energy directly to the engine and the battery while the vehicles are on the go.

Communication with all management units and all registered vehicles is via cloud technology.

The system allows for smaller batteries on electric buses, opening more room for passengers, utilizes existing roads, and saves time because vehicles do not have to stop to charge or refuel.

ElectReon last year signed a deal with a large European infrastructure company, Eurovia, to promote and build wireless electric road systems in Germany, France and Belgium.

The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality contracted with ElectReon last year to pilot a smart road that can recharge an electric bus as it drives along. In March, the company said it had successfully operated a bus charged with an electric road in Tel Aviv.

The company was founded in 2013 and is based in the northern moshav of Beit Yannai.