Israel defense giant Elbit to phase out Chinese vehicles from its fleet
Move follows IDF restrictions on Chinese-made cars and comes as scrutiny of Chinese automakers intensifies globally.
Elbit Systems will gradually remove Chinese-made vehicles from its leasing fleet, the company has informed employees. In the first phase, dozens of Chinese-manufactured vehicles currently assigned to company executives will be replaced over the coming months as their leasing contracts expire.
The replacement process will not be immediate and is expected to continue over several months and into next year. As leasing agreements come up for renewal, Chinese-made vehicles will be replaced with models from non-Chinese manufacturers. Elbit declined to comment on the move.
Elbit's vehicle fleet currently consists of approximately 4,400 vehicles, some of which are manufactured by Chinese automakers such as BYD and Geely. Earlier this week, BYD was added to the U.S. Department of Defense's list of companies alleged to have ties to the Chinese military, a designation that the Pentagon says could pose national security concerns.
The decision to gradually phase out Chinese vehicles from Elbit's fleet is not entirely surprising. As first reported by Calcalist, the IDF began restricting the entry of Chinese-made vehicles into intelligence and technology-related military facilities last year. Over time, those restrictions expanded into a blanket ban covering all IDF bases.
In practice, the move means that Elbit employees who currently drive Chinese-made vehicles will likely transition to hybrid and electric models manufactured in South Korea, Japan, and Europe.
The development comes amid broader scrutiny of Chinese vehicles in Israel. As revealed by Calcalist last week, the Israeli government canceled a tender for the procurement of electric vehicles. While most of the models offered in the tender were manufactured in China, the tender also included electric vehicles from Tesla.
In a notice sent to participants, the Government Vehicle Administration stated: "The tender committee has decided to cancel all electric vehicle categories that were published for the supply of electric vehicles across various segments."
According to sources familiar with the process, the cancellation was not related to the participation of Chinese automakers. Instead, it stemmed from cost considerations and a desire to wait for more competitive pricing from manufacturers.
