Tesla dominates as EV sales take off in Israel

Tesla car in Tel Aviv  credit Hadar Ruth Bashan
Tesla car in Tel Aviv credit Hadar Ruth Bashan

9,600 electric cars have been delivered in Israel so far this year, 700% more than in 2020.

The electric car segment continues to grow as a proportion of car deliveries in Israel. In the period January-November, 9,600 electric cars were delivered in Israel, 700% more than in the corresponding period of 2020. The market share of electric cars has grown from 0.7% last year to 3.4% this year.

In November alone, 970 electric cars were delivered, 580 of them from Tesla. In the January-November period, Tesla delivered 5,280 cars in Israel, representing 55% of the market. In second place is the MG ZS EV, with a market share of 15.3%, followed by the Aiways U5, with a market share of 4.4%.

By the end of the year, Tesla will increase its market share significantly, after 890 of the company's 3 SR+ model arrive in mid-December. These vehicles were originally supposed to have been unloaded in Ashdod together with the latest consignment of Tesla vehicles from Shanghai, but were not allowed to be unloaded because of delays in obtaining European standard approval. The model incorporates substantial changes, such as a different type of battery. The cars are now waiting at a European port for loading on another ship, due to arrive at Ashdod in the second week of December, unless there are further delays.

Sources at Tesla estimate that sales of its Model Y crossover will begin to Israeli customers early in the first quarter of 2022.

Rapid growth in plug-in sales too

The plug-in hybrid segment has also seen very rapid growth this year, with 11,200 deliveries between January and November, representing a market share of 4%, versus 2.5% last year. The segment is led by the Kia Niro plug-in, with a market share of 50.4%. In second place is the MG EHS, with 9.8% of total deliveries.

Market data indicate that this is the start of a wave. In early 2022, more than 2,000 new electric vehicles are expected to go onto Israel's roads, among them new Chinese brands Geely Geometry and Skywell.

Industry sources say, however, that this growth is liable to hit a wall, temporarily, because of lengthening waiting times for electric cars all over the world. In Europe, the average wait for popular electric models is between four months and over a year. In Israel too, the waiting time for some electric models is currently more than eight months.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 30, 2021.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2021.

Tesla car in Tel Aviv  credit Hadar Ruth Bashan
Tesla car in Tel Aviv credit Hadar Ruth Bashan
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