ByTARA KAVALER/THE MEDIA LINE

The global accounting and consulting firm BDO projects electric car sales in Israel to double this year to 19,000. Israel, the firm says, could be a global leader in electric cars but its growth is impeded by poor infrastructure. With a construction boom throughout Israel, some fear antiquated planning for current new builds in other sectors will bring further infrastructure woes in the future. 

Chen Herzog, chief economist and partner at BDO, says that Israel could be a world leader in the electric vehicle sector but infrastructure, particularly the electric grid, is holding back progress. In fact, Israel is not to prepared to handle the 215,000 electric vehicles forecast to be in use within the next four years. 

“Israel is at an advantage to lead the electric car revolution because it’s a small country, so the distance limitation of electric cars is less of an obstacle,” he told The Media Line. Herzog also noted the country’s “relatively high gasoline prices and relatively low electricity prices.”

Herzog says that in order to accommodate the “revolution” in electric vehicles, Israel’s government has to increase infrastructure and provide economic incentives.

Israel’s electric sector is still being built based on long-term plans that do not take into consideration the requirements of electric vehicles, he added.