Auto & Transportation

In recent years, the Israeli government has encouraged the import of new energy vehicles. Chinese electric vehicle brands have taken this opportunity to enter the Israeli market, and have been widely praised for their performance and price advantages, helping Israel to promote new energy vehicles.

According to the plan formulated by the Israeli Ministry of Energy, from 2030, Israel will completely ban the import of gasoline and diesel vehicles, and the imported vehicles will be limited to electric or natural gas vehicles. This opens a window of opportunity for Chinese new energy vehicles to enter the Israeli market.

"This car can travel up to 460 kilometers on a single charge, and can span the north and south of Israel." In August 2021, when China's Geely Automobile was about to launch a geometric C-shaped electric car in Israel, the local newspaper wrote.

After the Geometry C electric car was launched in Israel, it quickly won the favor of local consumers. In the first half of 2022, the model has a market share of 22% in the pure electric vehicle market in Israel, and was named "Best Buy Model of the Year" by a local car magazine.

The success of Geely Auto is a microcosm of the strong development of Chinese new energy vehicles in Israel in recent years. BYD, NIO, Great Wall, GAC, SAIC... Israeli financial media wrote that at least 10 Chinese auto brands are or will sell new energy vehicles in Israel.

Although Israel is a small market, it is very suitable for driving electric vehicles. In recent years, the Israeli government has vigorously encouraged the development of new energy vehicles and provided preferential policies for imported electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles currently account for only 3 percent of the Israeli auto market, and the government hopes to increase this to 50 percent by 2025, said Tomel Hadar, a writer for the Israeli car edition. The industry expects that the sales of electric vehicles in Israel will be between 15,000 and 20,000 in 2022, more than half of which will be Chinese brands.

Local industry insiders generally believe that as fuel prices continue to rise, more consumers will turn their attention to new energy vehicles. Chinese brand electric vehicles stand out in the Israeli market with their high technical content, superior cruising range and price advantage.

"Chinese electric vehicle brands have a large market in Israel and have gradually gained a firm foothold." Hadar said, the number of Chinese electric vehicle brands entering Israel will continue to increase in the next two to three years.

At the end of June this year, Hongqi, a well-known car brand in China, opened its first showroom in Israel in Tel Aviv, and a large number of local people came to visit and see the style of Hongqi cars. Two months ago, Hongqi's flagship pure electric vehicle model E-HS9 entered the Israeli market.

A recent research report by the Israel National Security Institute pointed out that Israeli battery technology is developing rapidly, and the technology of replacing graphite anodes with nano-silicon is expected to achieve fast and safe charging within a few minutes. At the same time, China has great potential to improve the technical performance of lithium iron phosphate batteries, and China is working to ensure its leading position in advanced batteries and electric vehicles.

Industry insiders believe that China's electric vehicle brands with diverse brands, superior performance, affordable prices, and the advantage of industrial agglomeration will not only promote the transformation of the Israeli auto industry, but also provide an opportunity for exchanges and mutual learning between the two countries' auto industries.