Israeli automotive market. Results of the first two months of 2023
The Israeli automotive market has been showing strong growth since the beginning of 2023, due to an increase in deliveries of cars. According to a report by the Automobile Importers Association published on March 2, 29,132 new vehicles were delivered to Israel in February 2023, up 15.2% as compared to February 2022. In total, since the beginning of January, 76,328 new cars have arrived in Israel, which is 21.7% more than the same period last year. And what about sales in the first two months of 2023: up or down?
For those who want to see numbers: here we have described the results of 2022, and here about the results of 2021.
Purchasing power has also grown: according to a report by the same Importers Association, in the first month of 2023, just over 47,000 new cars hit the roads. The increase compared to January 2022 was about 25%. An increase in the number of imported cars is unlikely to affect their cost. Do not forget about the ‘green’ tax on the import of gasoline models, which has increased from 2,000 to 3,000 shekels, as well as about the increased tax on the import of electric vehicles (from 10% to 20%) and hybrid cars (from 40% to 55%).
And yet, the increase in deliveries is good news. The market will no longer experience an acute shortage of new cars and will gradually be saturated. And this means that we will have more choices, and the waiting times for already ordered cars will be reduced. The long-term consequences are more acceptable prices in the secondary market (we hope).
Hyundai is still among the market leaders, demonstrating moderate growth since the beginning of 2023. Kia occupies the second place, but so far it imports fewer cars than in the same period in 2022. Mazda continues its excellent last year, surpassing Toyota in the number of vehicles delivered.
The Japanese concern, in turn, is still experiencing a failure in deliveries. Possible reasons are the suspension of the import of the pre-styling Toyota Corolla and the expectation of an updated sedan restyled in 2022.
The Chinese automaker BYD has entered the top five, actively increasing its presence in the Israeli market. Since the beginning of 2023, it has even managed to beat Geely with its Geometry sub-brand.
Deliveries of new cars to Israel. January - February 2023
| Brands | Number of imported cars | Difference compared to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
12 935 | + 2,3% | |
8 264 | - 10,1% | |
6 284 | + 43,5% | |
5 942 | - 36.7% | |
4 589 | + 100% | |
3 380 | - 0.6% | |
3 221 | + 6.5% | |
3 044 | + 100% | |
2 334 | + 43.7% | |
2 259 | + 26.8% | |
2 200 | + 462.7% | |
2 095 | + 87.1% | |
1 967 | + 73.0% | |
1 947 | + 34.8% | |
1 802 | + 19.8% | |
1 644 | + 246.8% |
As for the suppliers not included in the table, we should note those automakers that significantly increased the number of imported models to the Israeli market: MG (1,535 units), Seres (355 units), Skywell (296 units), Aiways (169 units), Leapmotor (130 units). All brands are Chinese and electric.
We hope that in the end we will have more buyers of purely electric cars. After all, the more diverse the choice, the wider the circle of potential customers. Gradually, the fear that the battery will run out during the trip will disappear, as modern electric cars provide decent driving ranges. In addition, the number of charging stations will grow. Read here to find out which electric cars can be bought in Israel now and which ones will arrive during 2023.
