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The corona did not cut off the current Israel today

2020-08-08T16:02:37.421Z


The market share of electric vehicles shows an impressive increase >> | Worth getting to know


The Corona days have led to a tangible slowdown in sales in the traditional car market, while the market share of electric vehicles shows an impressive increase

In the days when many are looking for how to save costs and reduce family expenses, electric charging and cheap maintenance expenses enchant many and give a great alternative to regular vehicles.

The automotive industry has been materially damaged since the outbreak of the corona.

Showrooms have been closed for a long time and many buyers have given up on the idea of ​​buying a new car, whether for reasons of financial uncertainty, or for other personal reasons. Recently, with the easing of the closure, we are witnessing a great recovery in the data on the dedication of the new vehicle. This can be attributed to the method of traffic capsules in public transport which threatens many, purchase as self-compensation for a difficult period and accumulation of orders from the closure period.

The summary of vehicle dedications in the first half of 2020 shows a rather dramatic decrease of about 25% in volumes compared to the dedications in that period in 2019. In contrast, the figure for all-electric vehicle deductions shows a significant growth trend of hundreds of percent; Nearly a thousand electric vehicles were sold in Israel in the first half of 2020, luxury vehicles alongside popular vehicles. This clear trend illustrates a change in the consumption habits of the Israeli consumer, which is becoming more sophisticated and aware and in these tumultuous days, is looking for, among other things, a cheap alternative to high costs of fuel and maintenance.

While the global market has been encouraging the penetration of electric vehicles for many years, and supports by providing tax breaks and advancing a green agenda, in Israel it seems that 2020 is a turning point year when the corona is a catalyst for the process of change. This year they began implementing a plan to build many hundreds of government-supported charging stations, which will be added to the hundreds of stations already in place today. Moreover, government ministries are discussing easing the conditions for installing charging stations in condominiums, in order to provide a practical solution for electric vehicle owners living in condominiums.

There are already a number of brands in Israel that offer all-electric vehicles // Photo: Ronen Topelberg

As of August 2020, there are already a number of brands in Israel that offer all-electric vehicles. In the field of luxury you will find Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Porsche, Mini. In the popular field, one finds Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, MG and now also GAC. In the coming year, most automakers will launch additional electric models across all segments and price levels.

The spotlight this time is on the youngest in the local market, GAC, which was launched in the days of the Corona and faces strong and veteran players in the local market. To this end, we chose to talk to a number of customers who have already purchased the first model, the GE3. The launch of the GAC electric car brand in Israel, in February this year, just before the outbreak of the Corona in Israel, was perhaps the most appropriate timing. The youngest car brand in the local market, belongs to the Union Group, an importer of Toyota and Lexus.  

Make no mistake, GAC is young in local terms, but it is a huge and veteran Chinese concern, which employs about 800,000 people and is ranked as one of the 200 largest companies in the world. GAC plants are scattered throughout China and every year about 2.5 million vehicles go off the production lines and are exported to about 25 countries around the world.

The first car from GAC that was launched here, the GE3, a compact recreational vehicle, presented a combination of attractive price along with family functionality and very rich equipment, and thus managed to sell about 90 units in Israel since its launch, an impressive number, especially in terms of sales to popular electric competitors.

We met a number of local customers who purchased GAC, in order to understand something about their consumer perception, which warmly adopted the use of an all-electric vehicle on the one hand, and experience with a completely new brand in the Israeli market on the other.

Photo: Yossi Reichman

Roi Gershon, Purchasing Manager, Neot Dorit Ltd. -

Roy, you bought the car from one of your employees at your company. Was there a green or environmental ideology that took part in the pre-purchase considerations?

Definitely yes. Our company has specialized, for 45 years, in providing environmental solutions to authorities and businesses.

Following the electric revolution taking place in the automotive world, and now also in Israel, we began to think of electric vehicle solutions, among other things as a company that advocates for the preservation of the environment, for us, this is a very true statement out there.

Tell us a little about the cost section and whether there are any significant savings due to the use of an electric vehicle

We employ dozens of foremen in the company and they have attached vehicles. Fuel and maintenance items are very significant expense items. We found that the cost of charging electricity compared to refueling is negligible, as are the costs of maintaining the vehicle.

Beyond that, when the importer provides treatments for 3 years at his own expense, the savings are even more significant, and there is a statement by an importer who stands firmly behind the vehicle he is selling. Once I know I will replace the vehicle at the end of a period of about three years in Trade In, I have the option to calculate quite accurately the costs that are expected of me in advance.

And you did not have "range anxiety"? After all, using an electric vehicle requires planning the use of the vehicle and estimating the kilometers of travel

I will not lie, there were some concerns about purchasing a vehicle based solely on electricity, as the average foreman sometimes devours hundreds of miles in a working day. But now after about two months, in which the vehicle is in full use, I can say with full mouth, that indeed the vehicle does the job and gives confidence about its range.

In addition, thanks to the economical driving conditions and the employee's desire to accumulate a longer driving range, a situation is created in which the foreman drives more moderately, thus reducing the number of road accidents and general damages caused each year as a result of reckless and dangerous driving.

And what about the travel experience?

The employee who uses the vehicle reports that the vehicle is comfortable to drive, very quiet, well equipped and has a lot of power. So apart from our savings as a fuel consumption company, and its savings due to the value of using a vehicle significantly lower than a regular vehicle, the employee gets a vehicle with a high level of finish that does not fall short of the premium recreational vehicles on the market today.

Schwimmer Yechiel (Chilik), 62, Bnei Dror

Chilik had a number of electric vehicles in the past. Due to this, and due to being a technical person, we got his experience of experiencing with the GAC from several different angles.

Where were you exposed to the GAC electric vehicle ?

My neighbor bought such a car, and invited me to be impressed by it. The field of electricity in vehicles is no stranger to me, I used to have a bus company, and I studied the subject of electric buses in depth about twenty years ago.

When I got to the neighbor, I was surprised to find a solid, finished vehicle. I admit that my expectations were not so high.

I have been driving an electric vehicle for several years, and when I consider buying a new car, 3 main issues are important to me:

  • The "integrity" and maturity of the vehicle.
  • Travel range between charging and active protection in the vehicle.
  • Who is the importer behind the vehicle and giving the service. A good service experience is critical for me.
  • And after the purchase, what were the answers you got on these sections?

    First, I can testify after I have traveled with the vehicle about 10,000 km, that the vehicle travels excellently and cruises great. I really enjoy the experience of driving and driving it. The level of equipment is good and the quality is high.

    Second, the driving ranges are not disappointing, and you can reach those declared 309 km, when with very calm driving you can even pass this figure. I have come across them before.

    Yes, I would be happy if I was given the option of a charger that is connected to an app through which I can control the amount of current and control the charge. In order to extend the life of the battery, you should always keep it in the ranges between about 30 and about 90 percent charge.

    I do not have the same range issues that are feared. My girlfriend is in the Bnei Darom area, and I have already traveled with the vehicle to Beit She'an and back, without any problems. In principle, in the "radius" of Israeli travel, there should be no problem and there is no reason for any concern.

    The question of "how do you get to Eilat" is asked from time to time, so with a partial charge on the way you can get there, and that doesn't seem like a big deal to me, as long as you travel to Eilat once or twice a year. It is true that it would have been more convenient if there was a solution for fast charging in the middle of the road.

    Another thing that does not exist in the vehicle is active safety systems, but I found that the carrier Ai works great, and I got used to it.

    And last and perhaps most important, the service. I was very surprised by the level of service and availability of the highest I have encountered. The company operates as a company that provides service to a luxury car customer, and not as an Israeli company that sells mainstream vehicles.

    Tell me about the expenses section of an electric vehicle versus a regular vehicle

    Since you already understood that I was a technical person, even when I had petrol or diesel vehicles in the past, I maintained them myself, so the routine maintenance costs were relatively low for me.

    And yet, it hurts me to see in the warehouse components like water pumps, streams and strips, that I no longer need. An electric vehicle has almost nothing to repair. Two sections that may require regular maintenance are tires and wipers, even the brakes work much less, because of the vehicle’s regenerative braking.

    You could say that this is actually the first time a vehicle has served you and not the other way around. I have long since deducted fuel expenses from my expenses item. 

    Hilik, how do you feel when you pass a gas station?

    I always have an association of drivers who leave windows open in the car because they are throwing money out the window. When you drive an electric car, you feel very quickly that you are saving thousands of shekels a year.

    Pinchas (Pini) Steyer Shmuel, 62, Modi'in

    Even with the GAC pins it is not the first electric vehicle, nor the second. And if that's not enough, in order to understand his experience with electric vehicles, Pini covers about 7,000 km (!) Every month. Due to this, the range between charges is a major consideration for him in choosing a new vehicle.

    Tell me how you manage on a regular basis with charging at such a large mileage

    It's all a matter of planning. Both for drivers who drive about 100 km per day and for me. In traffic jams, for example, the actual amount of power consumption is negligible to non-existent.

    Today there are quite a few charging points on the roads, and I, who have traveled about 17,000 km with the vehicle so far, have never had to load it on the road. When traveling from Modi'in to Haifa, for example, there is no fear of getting stuck. For me 300 plus km is an excellent range And provides.

    Even if I travel to Eilat, charging the batteries on the descents plus the option (for those who are afraid) to charge for a short time in the toilet, and here you arrived without special dramas. You just have to learn the vehicle. On ascending to Jerusalem the vehicle needs power from the battery, himself.

    What about the vehicle itself?The driving experience in it? Still, you spend so many hours a day in it   

    First of all, the quiet. Those who drive an electric vehicle can not go back and return to a gasoline or diesel vehicle. The ride is very pleasant, and it is great fun to get used to the fact that the power of the engine is available to you and immediately. One of the issues that is very important to me in the car is the quality of the audio and the phone, and here I really enjoy the multimedia.

    I must also mention the service experience. As mentioned I have had electric vehicles as well as large executive vehicles in the past. The truth is I have not encountered such a good service as that of the GAC staff.

    As someone who has experienced quite a few years and miles of driving an electric vehicle, what about the savings clause?

    People do not understand that through fuel savings a significant portion of the vehicle's costs can be recouped. There are no faults here, no oils to replace, the wear of the brakes is low, the charging cost is about 10 ag per km in total. My kids who drive, do not want to take any other vehicle when they go out, because they have found that they have no cost of fuel here.

    Beyond that, when the vehicle is charged in the business, these are part of his electrical expenses. The savings in treatments and fuel are just tremendous. It is difficult for people to make this switch in their head, and switch from gasoline or diesel to electricity. Once they understand that the vehicle is good, and that the charging and maintenance costs are so low, they will surely be convinced.

    And what are the thoughts near gas stations?

    I'm just thinking about what fun it is not to have to stop there after a day of work and waste time and money. You arrive home, plug the vehicle in, without a queue, and the next day the vehicle is ready with full range. The convenience in this is great.

    Photo: PR

    Udi Schoenig, in trouble

    For Audi this is a first attempt with an electric vehicle.

    How did you end up choosing the GAC brand ?

    I did not know the brand. When I examined the issue of purchasing an electric vehicle, I saw that most of the other options in the Israeli market are not spacious enough for family needs, do not provide a satisfactory answer in terms of driving range, or are simply very expensive.

    I learned quite a bit about the brand and read a lot of reviews from abroad. The very fact that the Union Group is the "father and mother" of the brand, gave me further reinforcement and confidence to test the brand. 

    Indeed, the service experience is excellent, from the purchase stage. The company even rents a car for me at its expense for an annual trip to Eilat, which is definitely unusual.

    And how are you impressed with the vehicle?

    The GAC gives a very good return. There are many luxury accessories such as leather and sunroof upholstery, it is comfortable and driving is fun. I think the range of travel in it is good and satisfying in the vast majority of cases, when there is still a deployment of charging stations and a solution for a portable charger offered by the importer.

    And what about the financial calculation?

    I, as a financier, have examined the issue in depth. My wife drives a car regularly, an average of about 40,000 km per year. In general calculation, it is about NIS 17,000 for fuel per year, in addition to about NIS 3,000 for treatments. The same NIS 20,000 per year, multiplied by 3 years, is an expense of NIS 60,000. The cost of electricity in an electric vehicle will be about one-fifth of that.Even if the value of the grit is lower than I initially estimated, I still earn here, over the period, a few tens of thousands of shekels compared to a gasoline vehicle.

    What is your message to the nation?

    I hope the taxation on electric vehicles will go down in the future, and we will see a lot more electric vehicles. The world goes there.

    I am very positively considering equipping myself with one of the models that GAC will launch in Israel, such as the AION LX, which provides an even greater driving range, of about 400-500 km. I would be happy to make the house one that only moves with electric vehicles.   

    Photo: Maya Schoenig

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    In collaboration with GAC

    What is stated in the article includes content and commercial / marketing information, and the Israel Today system is not responsible for its reliability. The publication of the contents and commercial information in the article does not constitute a recommendation or offer by the Israel Today system to purchase and / or use the services or products in the article.

    Source: israelhayom

    All news articles on 2020-08-08

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