The symbol of Israel’s brief flirtation with automotive manufacturing during the 1960s and 1970s was considered a delicacy by the country’s camels.

 

While the story of hungry camels gnawing on cars was just a rumor, the first “blue and white” carmaker shuttered its manufacturing operations in 1981. Today, the modest Israeli vehicle manufacturing industry serves primarily military purposes.  

With more than 500 transportation start-ups; innovation hubs established by many of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers; and soaring investment, Israel has truly secured its place as a veritable driving force of automotive innovation.

Israel’s automotive pioneering spirit, Intel’s acquisition of Jerusalem-based vision Technology start-up Mobileye for $15.3 billion in 2017 demonstrated the country’s potential to succeed.

 

Several automakers like Ford, Renault, Nissan, and General Motors have chosen Israel for their Research Centre, making the small market a Tech hotbed for Automotive Technology.

Vehicle manufacturers like BMW and Hyundai and Auto component makers like BOSCH and Lear have opened their R&D centers. Several global technology companies including Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung too came forward and invested in Israeli companies that are directly or indirectly working in the automotive space, especially on autonomous driving or connected car technology.

 

Israel has the highest density of tech startups in the world for more than half a decade. The small country is the home of more than 6000 plus technology startups and second to Silicon Valley when it comes to Tech Innovation.

 

 List of a few Israeli Companies into Automotive solutions:

VIA – powering the World’s Most Advanced Public Mobility Systems. Via has developed innovative solutions for on-demand and pre-scheduled transit, powered by the world’s most advanced technology. Via acquires CityMapper to expand its end-to-end TransitTech solution. Via Closes $3.5 B valuation raising $110M to expand TransitTech Portfolio.

 

 Hailo – Hailo’s breakthrough 8-edge with the unprecedented performance of up to 26 Teraflops, the AI processor is designed specifically for running embedded AI applications efficiently on edge devices Operations per Second (TOPS). The chip uses a novel architecture that makes use of the fundamental properties of neural networks, enabling the cost-effective deployment of ADAS today, as well as paving the path for the development of autonomous vehicles in the future.

 

Innoviz – a leading manufacturer of high-performance, solid-state LiDAR (Laser imaging detection and ranging) sensors and perception software that are capable of bringing vision to virtually any environment

Ride Vision – a Rider Assistance System designed specifically for motorbikes and their riders. As part of the system, two small cameras are mounted on the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as a computer system that monitors the road throughout the ride using a patented algorithm to detect possible collision threats and alert the rider in real-time without disturbing the rider’s concentration while riding.

GoToGlobal – a multimodal shared-mobility company, offering shared cars, vans, mopeds, kick scooters, and E-bikes to private and business customers. The company has its own proprietary technology and sustainably operates its fleet.

AutoFleet – fleet operators and logistics providers have access to the only comprehensive solution for optimizing existing operations and launching new on-demand passenger and logistics services. With the help of AutoFleet, fleets can maximize their utilization and revenues as well as reduce fleet downtime and create new mobility services.

Argus – specializes in cybersecurity for the automotive industry. A modern vehicle contains dozens, if not hundreds, of computers controlling many different aspects of the vehicle, including the steering system and the infotainment system. As a result of the increased number of connectivity options available in vehicles, such as cellular antennas and Bluetooth transmitters, these computers are susceptible to a wide variety of attacks. 

Autolead Star – specializes in providing digital marketing solutions for the automotive industry that allows dealers to market and sell by one-to-one targeting, online, and at scale. With AutoLeadStar’s technology, highly accurate, one-to-one matches between car buyers and sellers can be made at scale, speed, and specificity. By providing information on each car, assessing each customer, and making a match, AutoLeadStar is able to produce an average of four and a half times more quality leads in a market worth over 1.5 trillion dollars.

Please reach out to the local Israel Trade & Economic Mission to know more about Automotive Technologies. Check out the upcoming event on EcoMotion and Smart Mobility Events in Tel Aviv.

 

Kavitha S

Trade Officer
Ministry of Economy & Industry, Israel

Consulate General of Israel, Bangalore

Tel: +91-80-49406-516

Email:  Kavithas@israeltrade.gov.il