Executives from Renault and Toyota have been speaking to officials from Israel and Jordan in an attempt to launch a joint venture for a factory specializing in environmentally-friendly electric cars. According to the plan, the location of this factory would be near the border between Israel and Jordan, in an area called Peace Valley.
Direct discussions between Israel and Jordan were held a week and-a-half ago, at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, according to the report. Also according to the report, Israel’s Vice Premier Shimon Peres promised tax incentives and government grants to car manufacturers willing to take part in the project.
One of the leading figures in this joint project is Shai Agassi, former chief technology officer of the software giant SAP AG. After quitting SAP earlier this year, Agassi claimed he wishes to concentrate on “green” issues. According to Agassi, Israel should attempt to be independent of oil within 10 years. An electric car industry would be an indispensable step towards achieving such a goal.
Read Article