Israel to Allow Autonomous Vehicles on Roads Starting Next Year Following New UN Regulation

Starting in the second half of 2027, Israel is expected to implement regulations permitting the operation of vehicles equipped with advanced autonomous driving systems on public roads. This development follows the recent approval of a comprehensive international standard by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) at the end of June, which sets uniform safety and certification requirements for autonomous vehicles rated at level 4 autonomy and above. These vehicles can operate with minimal human intervention in controlled environments, matching or exceeding the safety performance of skilled human drivers.

The new international regulation mandates features such as continuous fault monitoring, event reporting, and data recording systems, and addresses licensing for vehicles without traditional controls like steering wheels or pedals, theoretically enabling fully driverless travel. Israel is expected to adopt this standard automatically as part of its alignment with European regulations, removing previous regulatory hurdles and providing a framework for approving imports of highly autonomous vehicles.

Industry insiders anticipate initial adoption will focus on commercial fleets operating in limited, defined routes, such as robotaxis, autonomous unloading cranes at ports, and dedicated buses. Currently, the company "Cross Israel" is advancing a tender for autonomous shuttle trials in Golan Heights communities, initially with safety drivers and later fully driverless.

Israel already imports vehicles equipped with dormant autonomous hardware and software, including hundreds of Tesla cars and the XPENG P7 Plus electric vehicle, which could be remotely activated once regulations permit. Other Chinese brands like NIO and Geely's Zeekr also have similar dormant autonomous capabilities. The Ministry of Transportation has been issuing experimental operation permits since 2022 and is currently reviewing the UNECE standards to ensure compatibility with Israeli requirements. As of now, no formal applications for autonomous driving system approvals have been submitted to the ministry.