Gigi.
She was one of the first women to complete a seaman's course in the Navy (Photo: Yehats)
Adi Gigi, who founded Tesla Israel and managed it until today, is retiring.
Gigi (39), grew up in Netanya.
At the age of 21, she completed a seamanship course as the first woman to be appointed an electronics officer.
She served on a warship, commanded a crew of 20 soldiers and was discharged with the rank of major.
After the service, she joined the Prime Minister's Office and in 2017 started working at Tesla.
After two years, she was appointed to establish Tesla Israel, in a format that no car manufacturer had operated in Israel before, of direct activity without a local importer, and when alongside a service and display system, the company established a network of fast charging stations and also began marketing energy storage facilities.
In February 2021, sales began.
This is only after a series of delays due to the need to adjust the activity to the local regulation, while the Ministry of Transportation, for its part, adjusts the traffic regulations in preparation for the activity, with the flexibility of the requirements from the car importer in the areas of garages and service, such as approval for the first time to perform car treatments using service vehicles at the customer's home.
Since then, according to data from the Licensing Ministry, more than 12,000 Tesla models have been delivered, and the company's Model 3 has become the most common electric car in Israel, in the years when sales of electric cars jumped from 1,500 units in 2020 to more than 26,000 this year.
Model 3 at a Tesla fast charging station in Israel.
The only car manufacturer that established its own chain in Israel (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Gigi wrote tonight that "on December 5, 2019, a little over 3 years ago, I returned to Israel from the USA together with 10 Tesla vehicles that we imported and founded Tesla Israel.
This was after two and a half years of working in the holy of holies of engineering at Tesla USA, and I promised the company that I would dedicate the next few years to bringing Tesla to a safe haven in Israel until all the models arrive here and a stable ground is built for its success years to come.
"The vision of electric vehicles in Israel then looked like this Far, everyone who spoke to me here about Tesla still mentioned the fate of Better Place, and they surely did not imagine the magnitude of the revolution that took place here, not only for Tesla, but for an entire country, for the entire Israeli car market.
"After 5.5 years at Tesla and three years Amazing in the establishment and construction of Tesla Israel, with the first arrival of Model S and X in Israel, I decided to close a circle and pass the baton of the electric revolution on.
It's exciting to see a vehicle that we've produced thousands of, and delivered thousands of - bearing a yellow Israeli license plate.
"And since the promise was fulfilled, with the feeling that an initial national goal of its kind had been achieved beyond any goal that could have been dreamed of - I decided it was time to move on, to make time to fulfill a few new personal and professional dreams in the new year that has come upon us. My first stop: Harvard University in the USA.
"I am excited to see our new customers in the coming week at the dedication of S&X, and I thank everyone who took part in establishing the company in Israel - we brought a lot of light to Israel and to Israelis together."
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