Better Place has not been doing better in recent months, and last month the company hit its lowest point yet. Better place transferred only 25 vehicles, based on previous sales, in November. As a result, analysts said, dozens more workers are likely to be laid off, in addition to the dozens that have been let go in recent weeks.
The November numbers were considered universally dismal in the company, sources close to the Better Place organization said, but in truth they were not that much worse than the number of cars sold in the previous months. In September, the company sold 73 cars, in August 80, and in July 60.
November was considered a critical month in Better Place, after the resignation of former CEO Shai Agassi, and the change in direction the company was set to take. In addition, the head of the Israel division, Moshe Kaplinsky, left the company in November as well, as have several other senior officials in recent months. Sources in the company said that the dismal sales of Better Place in Israel would lead to another wave of layoffs.
Overall, importers said that they estimated that Israeli customers bought 16,000 to 18,000 cars in November, several thousand fewer than the monthly average for the past year. The falloff is said to be due to Operation Cloud of Defense, with ships that were to deliver vehicles to Ashdod port delaying their deliveries during the war.