Tesla received a license to import only 20 electric cars to Israel in 2020, according to a report in Calcalist. This amount is far below the market’s potential. In addition, Telsa’s autopilot mode will be forbidden to be used.
Driving using a car’s autopilots are currently illegal in Israel, and Israel is concerned by some of the Tesla autopilot accidents that occurred in the US.
Tesla will be required to inform their clients in Israel that it is forbidden for them to utilize the autopilot feature. It is unclear if the feature will be completely disabled, or if drivers will be told it is illegal to use it.
The restriction on the number of electric car imports is due to Tesla not yet meeting all the local bureaucratic licensing criteria, the most important being maintaining a local repair center. Once Tesla meets all the licensing requirements the company will be able to upgrade their import license and import additional vehicles.