Israel considering making electric vehicles completely tax free
Recently, we told you about Project Good Place rumors that included Israel considering tax cuts for electric cars. We now have confirmation from Haaretz, that the "Finance Ministry is considering making electric vehicles completely tax free" or at least lowering certain taxes on electric cars like annual fees. Currently, there is a 84 percent purchase tax (changing to 79 percent in January) for gas cars; eco-friendly cars like hybrids are taxed 30 percent.
The cabinet will also create a study group to look into ways of speeding up electric car adoption and places to put the estimated 500,000 charging points. All of this is to back Project Better Place but I don't see how this won't open up Israel as a major market for other electric car companies. In the video above, President Peres says Israel is a transportation island and "can be the first country to replace its fleet of vehicles, instead of having it powered by fuel, have it powered by electricity."
The Haaretz article also confirms "Renault has already expressed an interest." More news to come, I'm sure.
[Source: Haaretz, YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Leonid 1:22PM (11/19/2008)
Tim - you're wrong, and deceptive. Israel costs nothing to US taxpayers. Very much unlike Arab countries, Russia etc. Spread truth, not lies!
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Throwback 3:51PM (11/12/2007)
I don't know where Israel's power comes from(nuclear?) but do/will they have enough juice to do this? If so, it would be a great way for them to virtually opt out of the oil market.
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CastleCharles 4:44PM (11/12/2007)
This is the kind of tax structure we could use in this country. imagine the effect this would have on the auto market. No sales tax on the purchase of a pure electric, 75% off sales tax of generator electric (volt), 50% off sales tax for hybrids ( prius) and 25% off mild hybrids (saturn aura). AND put some REAL taxes on oil based fuels. When we take our government back ( it was purchase / stolen buy the oil bushies 7 years ago) maybe some of these real things can happen and there might be something left of this planet to leave out children.
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Tim 4:54PM (11/12/2007)
Israel receives so much US taxpayer money that its citizens don't really NEED to pay any taxes at all. And I didn't even get a reach-around!
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Kent Beuchert 6:48PM (11/12/2007)
Operation Better Place is largely a con that actually increases the cost of batteries, making EVs even less economically viable. The stupidity
here is that there is no need for EVs when plug-ins that are economically viable, don't require
massive infrastructural changes, and accomplish virtually everthing that EVs can are right around the corner. Nonsense like this is what happens when politicians (and Silicon valley millionaires) venture into the world of technology.
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Robert Kirsten 9:59PM (11/12/2007)
Kent Beuchert. Plug-in hybrid enthusiast? Time to take another look at Project Better Place.
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Chris M 1:52AM (11/13/2007)
Yeah, Kent Beuchert is running true to form, as a "Detroit 3 Only" fanboy. He doesn't like "Better Place" because it isn't based in Michigan, and he doesn't like pure battery electrics because GM doesn't make them anymore. Of course, if GM changed their mind and came out with an EV2, then Beuchert would suddenly change his position, too!
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Mike 10:54AM (11/13/2007)
Tim - Israel receives zero economic assistance from US taxpayers. It does receive some US military aid which it spends almost entirely in the US, reducing the US trade deficit and creating US jobs.
Kent - Yea, I guess you're right, Silicon Valley millionaires never had an original idea or created anything worthwhile, did they? Oh, and sure, it makes a whole lot more sense to have two separate drive-trains in an auto when you can do just fine with a single, much more efficient one. Yea, right.
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Andrew Grin 12:39PM (11/13/2007)
Kent - Well I'm not sure if you have ever been out side of suburban America to a large city but just so you know not everyone has a garage to plug into. Project Better Place will be putting in the infrastructure to make it convenient for buyers of electric cars. I know if I were going to the city even for a day trip in my electric car I would sure love to be able to plug in at any meter. And for long distances Project Better Places program will make the electric car viable for all distances. Long and Far....
And because Project Better Place would buying more batteries they would come down in price
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