Chinese brand tops Israel's electric car sales in Q1

JERUSALEM, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Atto 3, an electric subcompact crossover model manufactured by China's BYD Auto, topped Israel's list of best-selling electric cars in the first quarter of 2024, according to data released by the Israel Vehicle Importers Association on Tuesday.

The data revealed that 5,220 units of the model were sold in Israel from January to March, which outrivals any other model in this period, be it electric and gasoline-powered.

Two other Chinese electric car models ranked second and third in the quarterly electric sales chart. These are the Geometry C compact crossover, made by the Geely Auto Group, and BYD's Dolphin hatchback, selling 1,932 and 1,471 units, respectively.

With 15,859 units sold, Chinese brands accounted for 70.81 percent of Israel's electric car sales in the first quarter, and with 20,366 units sold, Chinese brands topped Israel's imported car sales.

South Korea was Israel's second-largest supplier of imported cars in the months with 15,950 units sold.

Meanwhile, a new regulation in Israel, taking effect on Tuesday, mandates constructors of most non-residential buildings, like malls, offices, factories and parking lots, to install electric car charging spots, said the Israeli Ministry of Energy.

Applying to buildings with at least 30 parking spaces, this regulation joins an existing rule for newly built residential buildings, aiming to make charging spots more widely available and accessible.

This step underscores Israel's commitment to promoting electric transportation and reducing emissions, the ministry emphasized.