Chinese brands top Israel's EV sales in Jan-Oct

JERUSALEM -- Chinese automaker BYD stood as the best-selling electric vehicle (EV) brand in Israel in the first 10 months of this year by selling 14,320 cars, according to figures published by the Israel Vehicle Importers Association on Thursday.

From January to October, BYD, which entered the Israeli market in late 2022, ranked fourth in Israel's overall car sales, which include both gasoline and electric cars. The company mainly sold the electric subcompact crossover SUV Atto 3 in Israel.

Geely Auto Group, another Chinese automaker, ranked second in Israel's EV sales in the same period by selling 6,480 Geometry C compact crossovers.

American automaker Tesla clinched third place by selling 5,583 electric vehicles, followed by South Korea's Hyundai Motor, which sold 4,252 electric cars.

In the category of gasoline-powered vehicles, Chery Automobile, a Chinese automaker that entered the Israeli market in late 2022, clinched the seventh spot with 10,679 cars sold during the first 10 months.

Xpeng Motors, another leading Chinese car manufacturer, will start selling electric models in Israel through the local car dealership Freesbe.

The Israeli importer said in a statement on Thursday that the first cars of Xpeng's compact executive sedan P7 and the mid-sized luxury SUV G9 models have arrived in Israel.

The date to start the sale of Xpeng cars has not yet been set due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.