Around 700 Cars So Far: IDF Began to Seize Chinese Electric Cars

The Israeli army has begun seizing Chinese-made service vehicles used by officers.

According to 9TV, the process will last until the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The decision was made by order of the IDF Chief of Staff after a risk assessment conducted by Israeli security services.

It was found that the electronic systems of some Chinese vehicles could pose a threat of leaking classified information.

Previously, officers have been banned from entering military bases in Chinese-made vehicles.

First of all, the cars will be taken away from those soldiers who have access to classified data.

After that, the process will cover all other officers, regardless of their security clearance.

The army estimates that about 700 cars are to be seized. Most of them are seven-seater CHERY models that were provided to officers with large families.

Israeli security services note that some Chinese cars are equipped with cameras, microphones, sensors, and communication modules that can transmit data to external servers.

This can happen without the knowledge of the driver or even the importer.

“The problem is not just cameras and microphones,” a former senior IDF official explained to journalists, “A modern car is a computer on wheels with a closed operating system and wireless connectivity. It is capable of collecting intelligence from nearby objects.”

The IDF said it had no plans to publicly comment on the issue.