Israel’s defense sector phases out Chinese cars over security concerns and U.S. pressure

Israel’s defense establishment is moving away from Chinese-made cars, citing espionage risks and American pressure. After about five years in which some MG ZS EV models were used by the security unit at the IDF General Staff camp in Tel Aviv, the military and defense institutions are now ending their reliance on Chinese vehicles.

Rafael and Elbit have recently decided to begin removing Chinese cars from their company fleets, even though they had initially planned to keep using them after Israel Aerospace Industries had already stopped. That earlier decision followed recommendations from security officials. The Ministry of Defense had also already halted the inclusion of Chinese vehicles in new tenders.

The IDF was the first major body to fully stop using them, replacing hundreds of Chery Tiggo 7s that had been leased to officers with large families with Mitsubishi Outlander models, as previously reported by Walla Cars. The military had also leased Chery Tiggo 8 and used Chinese electric security-patrol vehicles, but it has since restricted Chinese cars from sensitive bases, including private cars owned by career soldiers and reservists.

The concern is that modern vehicles contain advanced cameras, microphones, navigation systems that can identify location, and cellular communications that can transmit data from the car. Together, the defense sector and defense industries operate tens of thousands of company cars, usually through leasing, and those fleets will now be open only to manufacturers from South Korea, Japan, Europe, and the United States.

For electric vehicles, the decision could benefit the relatively small number of non-Chinese models sold in Israel, including Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Citroen, and Renault. More than 40% of new cars sold in Israel are Chinese, and the number of Chinese cars on the road has surpassed 150,000. The article raises the question of whether the defense-sector move could affect the civilian market and slow China’s rapid penetration, which is considered the fastest in the West, where Chinese brands are still below 15% market share on average.