Private company

Merkavim

Israeli bus manufacturer

Merkavim Transportation Technologies Ltd., shortened to Merkavim (Hebrew: מרכבים), is the largest bus manufacturing company in Israel. They produce many different types of buses, including tourism coaches, urban buses, long-distance buses and minibuses. In addition to this, they also provide specialist buses, such as bullet-proof buses, prisoner-transport vehicles and VIP transport vehicles.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

Jan 11, 1946Founded1
Egged1770
Photo: Ori~, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons4

Merkavim Transportation Technologies Ltd., shortened to Merkavim (Hebrew: מרכבים), is the largest bus manufacturing company in Israel. They produce many different types of buses, including tourism coaches, urban buses, long-distance buses and minibuses. In addition to this, they also provide specialist buses, such as bullet-proof buses, prisoner-transport vehicles and VIP transport vehicles. The company was founded in 1946 and is jointly owned by Israeli vehicle-importer Mayer Cars and Trucks and by AB Volvo.2

Corporate structure

Merkavim is part of a group headed by מאיר חברה למכוניות ומשאיות. 2 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

Products and brands

Long distance buses

Mars - Intercity bus

City buses

Low Entrance Pioneer - Low entry/floor bus on VDL SB230 Chassis and Volvo B7RLE Chassis Gearbox Is ZF Ecolife and Man A69 18.290 HOCL NL Gearbox is Voith D854.5 and Mercedes Benz OC500LE Gearbox ZF Ecolife and MAN RC2 19.290 HOCL and Volvo B8RLE ZF Ecolife Transmission

Low Floor NL

Articulated BRT

Read the full text

Low Floor Mercury- On Volvo B7L Chassis With Voith D864.3E

Coaches

Apollo - Coach for tourism and special rides

Apollo Premium - A new version of the Apollo

Minibuses

City 22 - Minibus based on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

CORAL - shuttle minibus based on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Armored buses

Mars Defender - Double rear axle

Special Models

Apollo Premium VIP to business rides

Mobile Library

Prisoner Bus

From Wikipedia’s article on Merkavim, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. Jan 11, 1946Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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