IDF Plans Thousands of New Lease Cars for Senior Officers, Mostly Non-Chinese Hybrids

The Israel Defense Forces is preparing a new round of leased vehicle procurement under a broad framework tender launched last year, which was won by the leasing companies Eldan and Free. The current round is intended for lieutenant colonels and colonels, as well as senior noncommissioned officers and civilian IDF employees.

The military expects to buy about 2,000 vehicles. The focus will be on large family cars, mainly crossovers and sedans, with retail list prices of roughly 160,000 to 200,000 shekels in the private market.

The new round is expected to stand out because Chinese-made vehicles are likely to be screened out from the start for data security reasons. The procurement will also prioritize fuel-efficient models with green drivetrains, mainly hybrids.

The IDF originally wanted to include plug-in hybrid models and some fully electric cars, but in practice almost all vehicles in that price and size range with those drivetrains are made in China. As a result, those options are effectively being excluded from the tender.