Vehicle acquisition numbers from January-February 2024 show an increasing preference in Israel for electrical vehicles and especially from China, according to numbers published by Globes.
Globes' data show that while car acquisitions overall declined by 16.9% compared to 2023, the number of electric cars actually increased by 40% compared to the same period.
The share of electric cars among car purchases has also shot up from 14% to 24%, with China clearly serving as the largest supplier, bypassing South Korea which once occupied the top spot.
A number of government ministries are working on regulations which would impose a "charging tax" on electrical vehicles based on the time of charging, to prevent too much strain on the electrical grid as a whole, per Globes.
The tax is currently in the pilot phase and would depend on electrical vehicles reaching a "critical mass" of vehicles on the road. The tax would be calculated based on "smart" home and public chargers, much like "smart" home meters today.
On the other hand, the Energy Ministry said that the government had decided on a travel tax rather than a charging tax to reduce the burden on traffic in rush hour and on the electrical grid during peak usage.
