Chinese automaker BYD begins sales of new electric model in Israel

JERUSALEM, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese automaker BYD on Thursday launched sales of a new electric car model in Israel, the company's official Israeli dealership Shlomo Motors announced in a statement.

The electric subcompact crossover SUV BYD Atto 2, also known as the Yuan Up, has fast charging from 30 to 80 percent in 19 minutes and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.

BYD entered the Israeli market in late 2022, and currently also offers the Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal, Sealion and Tang electric models in the country, along with three plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models.

Next week, the company is set to launch sales of the PHEV version of the Atto 2 in Israel.

BYD topped electric car sales in Israel in the first 10 months with 7,825 units, according to data released by the Israel Vehicle Importers Association. Next on the list is China's Chery with 6,349 units.

The share of Chinese brands reached 82.1 percent of all electric car sales in Israel in the same period, totaling 43,177 units.