LONDON – Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) through the Israel Fuel Choices Initiative (IFCI) this week signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Iveco (a brand of CNH Industrial) and Magneti Marelli (FCA Group) for co-operation in the development of natural gas-based technologies. The signatories are also discussing the possibility of establishing an extended research and development (R&D) cooperation program involving Israeli companies in fields related to alternative fuels, smart mobility and other automotive industry related activities.
FCA, with its lineup of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, and Iveco, across its range of trucks and buses, are recognized leaders in the development, manufacture and distribution of vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) featuring advanced multi-fuel technologies such as Magneti Marelli’s powertrain control solutions. FCA and CNH Industrial say they are strongly committed to reducing the environmental impact of road transport and this is a key pillar of their highly ranked sustainability policies.
IFCI is a 10-year Israeli government program managed through the Prime Minister’s Office and dedicated to reducing the world’s dependency on oil for transport and supporting the development of alternative fuels. The Government of Israel has set an objective to establish the country as an alternative fuels knowledge hub by supporting the development and implementation of next-generation technologies. The program calls for the increased use of alternative fuel technologies in Israel’s transportation sector, with a significant portion of the vehicle fleet being so equipped by 2020.
The signing of this MoU follows the joint statement made in December 2013 by the Governments of Israel and Italy that stressed the mutual desire for cooperation and innovation in alternative fuels for the automotive sector, and the Israeli-Italian industrial R&D cooperation agreement, under which the two governments initiated a support program for bi-lateral R&D collaborative activities between Israeli and Italian companies.
