Chinese manufacturers continue to reward their Israeli importers for strong sales and successful market penetration.
Freesbe officially received the license to import and market Chery in Austria, after already registering over 25,000 of the company's models at the licensing office this year, making it the third-largest brand in Israel after Toyota and Hyundai, and ahead of Kia, Skoda, and the long-established Mazda. This comes just three years after the brand's launch in Israel.
The agreement positions Freesbe as the entity that will manage the brand’s entire operation in Austria through a subsidiary it will establish, building a full marketing, logistics, and service system based on the Israeli model. Operations are expected to begin by mid-2026. The signing ceremony took place in China.
Oren Elezra, CEO of Freesbe’s automotive division, said at the signing: "The shared success story of Freesbe and Chery is entering its next chapter. We thank Chery’s management for their trust and choice, and we are preparing for a successful entry into Europe, just as we did in Israel."
Chery operates in Israel with two brands: Chery, imported by Freesbe, and JAC, imported by Colmobil, which will soon launch an additional brand, Omoda. This move comes six months after Chery granted Colmobil the license for JAC in Austria as well, after selling 17,000 cars this year, mostly while offering only one model, the JAC 7, which became a best-seller in Israel.
Union Motors Group also received, following the success of Geely in Israel, a license to import and market the brand in another country—Greece.
The market share of Chinese manufacturers in Israel already stands at 33%, one of the highest in the West. In Western Europe, it is approaching 8% this year, with significant differences between countries. According to Reuters, in Norway the Chinese hold 12.1% of the market, in Spain 8.4%, and in the UK 8.1%. In Germany, which has a strong local automotive industry, their market share is only 4%.