JERUSALEM, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli authorities on Monday announced plans to invest 25 million new shekels (6.83 million U.S. dollars) in setting up charging stations nationwide for electric vehicles.
Four tenders will be put out in October to set up a total of 2,560 charging stations across Israel, the energy ministry said.
A total of 60 fast charging stations will be built along the interurban roads, while 2,500 slow charging spots will be installed in the cities, it added.
The government will cover 50 percent to 75 percent of the entire costs, according to the tenders.
At the speed chargers, it will be possible to charge 60 percent to 80 percent of the battery within half an hour, while the slow charging is designed to last 8 hours and serve two cars at the same time.
The winning bidders are expected to sign contracts by January 2019, and to complete the project in two to three years.
According to forecasts by the Israeli government, about a quarter of the vehicles sold in Israel are supposed to be powered by electricity by 2025.
Little investment has been made in electric vehicle infrastructure in Israel in recent years, especially after the collapse of the start-up Better Place in 2013, which managed to sell only 998 electric cars.
The lack of infrastructure for charging electric vehicles is another reason behind the slow penetration of such vehicles in Israel.
