A quick glance at Lebanon’s smog-choked roads reveals that hybrid cars and green technology are yet to be embraced by the country’s drivers. The vehicles are still a bit of a novelty in the West, accounting for a market share of only 0.5 percent in Western Europe and 2.8 percent in the United States in 2008 according to Polk, a firm that researches trends in the global automobile market. In Lebanon, the number of hybrid cars on the road is even lower. But things may be changing soon. In Lebanon’s proposed budget for 2010, a clause was included that would waive import tariffs on hybrid cars entering Lebanon. Currently, import tariffs and the 10 percent value added tax (VAT) on new vehicles can result in buyers in Lebanon spending up to 50 percent more than the market value of the car outside of Lebanon. The Lebanese Ministry of Finance and
Josh Wood is a journalist based in Boston. He was previously based in Beirut, where he was a correspondent for The National. His work focuses on refugees, US foreign policy and conflicts in the Middle East.
