For the first time this year, the market share of gasoline vehicles has dropped to less than half of the Israeli car market, falling to just 43%. Hybrid vehicles grew by nearly one-fifth to a 26% market share, while electric vehicles dropped by one-fifth to 20% (including fleets, so the real figure is even lower).
But the hottest category is plug-in vehicles, hybrids that charge from the outlet. These jumped fivefold from 2% to 11%. This is mainly due to range anxiety with electric cars, the shortage of public charging stations, and fears of their depreciation rate. This trend was apparent when BYD’s electric Atto 3 lost the crown of Israel’s best-selling car, which it held in 2023 and 2024, and was overtaken this year by plug-ins like the JAC 7 with more than 13,000 units, the Chery Tiggo 8 with about 5,500, and the BYD Seal, which recorded over 4,100 deliveries.
One week after launching the electric Atto 2, BYD introduced the plug-in version in Israel. The Atto 2 DMI will be the smallest and cheapest car on the market offering such a powertrain, starting at NIS 155,000, 6,000 more than the electric version. This is NIS 12,000 less than the significantly larger BYD Sealion 5, which will begin deliveries in January, NIS 15,000 less than the basic Chery Tiggo 7 plug-in, and NIS 25,000 less than the entry-level JAC 7 plug-in hybrid.
Atto 2 is classified in the SUV-B category, which includes models from the Toyota Yaris Cross to the SEAT Arona and Hyundai Venue. However, it is larger than they are, closer in size to the Hyundai Kona Hybrid, whose price starts at NIS 176,000.
With a length of 4.31 meters, a width of 1.83 meters, a height of 1.675 meters, and a wheelbase of 2.62 meters, the Atto 2 is 2 cm shorter, 0.5 cm narrower, 10 cm taller, and has a wheelbase 4 cm shorter. The luggage compartment, at 425 liters, is 25 liters smaller.
Equipment includes a 12.8-inch central screen, no longer rotating on its axis, with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, alongside an 8.8-inch separate instrument cluster. There is also voice control based on Google and Gemini, and AI support that allows, for example, more general command-based searches when using Google Maps.
The car also includes power-adjustable driver and passenger seats, cooled wireless phone charging, rain sensors, and 360-degree cameras. Unlike many other Chinese models, it does not include a panoramic roof.
Engine and performance: The plug-in is launched with a 1.5-liter engine and an electric motor producing a combined 212 hp, delivering 7.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 180 km/h. An 18.4 kWh battery promises an electric range of 90 km, 65 km per liter in hybrid mode with a charged battery, or 18 km per liter when the battery is depleted. In Europe, a more basic version is offered with a 7.8 kWh battery and 165 hp, reaching 0 to 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds, which may arrive later. In both versions, most driving is done using the electric motor, with the gasoline engine serving as a generator to charge the battery and connecting to the wheels only under load, above 100 km/h.
Warranty: 6 years or 150,000 km for the vehicle, 250,000 km or 8 years for the battery, and 150,000 km or 8 years for the electric motor and controller.
The Atto 2 plug-in hybrid has strong potential to become one of Israel’s best-selling models next year, both in the private sector and among fleets. Later on, compact plug-in crossovers from Leapmotor and Chery will arrive, creating a new market category dominated entirely by Chinese manufacturers. For now, as a plug-in vehicle, its price is identical to that of the basic JAC 5 regular hybrid.