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The Chinese automaker’s new kei EV is showing early momentum in one of Japan’s most protected vehicle segments, with demand driven largely by existing mini-car owners and second-car buyers  BYD Racco has gained strong early traction following its launch. Since opening pre-orders on July 21, the model has secured more than 5,000 confirmed orders in its first week. BYD Japan aims to r each cumulative orders of 10,000 units by the end of 2026. BYD Racco is a kei-class electric vehicle developed specifically for the Japanese market. Racco made its debut at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show, where it attracted 30,000 expressions of interest during its initial appearance.  Some dealers reported receiving more than 200 customer visits per day at physical showrooms, with high-performing stores recording around 60 deposit orders in a single day. More notably, Racco’s buyers are not solely first-time EV customers. According to BYD, around 70% of initial reservation holders are existing Japan...

The Chinese automaker officially launched its first K-Car model developed specifically for the Japanese market , the Racco, on Tuesday, entering the country's most important vehicle segment and challenging Toyota, Honda and Nissan on their home turf. The Racco starts at 2.145 million yen ($13,100) in Japan. After a 150,000-yen government subsidy, the entry-level version comes in below 2 million yen, with a WLTC range of 210 kilometers  BYD Japan officially launched its first K-Car model developed specifically for the Japanese market, the Racco, on July 28, marking the Chinese automaker’s first entry into the country’s highly competitive K-Car (microcar) segment , dominated by Japanese manufacturers, including Nissan, Honda, Suzuki and Daihatsu.  Unlike BYD’s existing passenger vehicles sold in Japan, the Racco was engineered specifically to comply with the country’s K-Car regulations. It measures 3,395 mm in length and 1,475 mm in width, matching Japan’s legal size limits fo...

The new electric kei car will start sales this year with a price of around 2.5 million yen ($16,340), targeting the vast Japanese kei car market. Despite its compact dimensions, the car seems to provide ample interior room, particularly in terms of vertical space  The BYD Racco electric kei car (K-Car) officially revealed its interior in Japan as it gets closer to the market launch. It will start sales this year with a price of around 2.5 million yen ($16,340) targeting the vast Japanese kei car market. Despite its compact dimensions of 3395mm in length, 1475mm in width, and 1800mm in height , the car seems to provide ample interior room, particularly in terms of vertical space. Front seats adopt a continuous, bench-style design, a practical feature for navigating narrow Japanese streets. This allows occupants to easily enter and exit the vehicle, even if the driver’s side is close to a wall.  The interior of the BYD Racco adopts a typical kei car architecture with a gear le...

The Chinese New Energy Vehicle (Nev) maker is adopting an unconventional strategy to expand its Japanese sales by opening mini dealerships showcasing only one or two models to promote of its Racco electric K-car designed specifically for the local market  BYD unveiled the Racco at Japan Mobility Show, which opened on October, 25 BYD is adopting an unconventional strategy to strengthen its position in Japan. The Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) maker plans to launch a network of mini-dealerships in smaller cities ahead of the rollout of its Racco electric kei car, according to a report by Nikkei Asia on February 9. These outlets will be located in towns with populations of up to 500,000 people.  "We intend to cover small, regional commercial areas in order to sell mini EVs," said Atsuki Tofukuji, president of BYD Auto Japan, according to the report. Each showroom will display only one or two vehicles and open as quickly as possible—a stark contrast to traditional large-sca...

The new BYD K-Car designed for the Japanese market has been spotted ahead of its official debut at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show , which opens on October 29. The model, reportedly named BYD Racco, is expected to begin reservations in Japan in the summer of 2026 . According to D-Auto , the Racco will feature a compact, boxy exterior typical of kei-class vehicles.  The front adopts a closed grille design with dual-layer daytime running lights that integrate turn signal functions. The car features a double-A-pillar structure, a small triangular front window, and a floating-style roof. The vehicle features a four-door layout with rear sliding doors , with their rails positioned above the rear wheel arches. The rear side windows feature privacy glass, and the tail section includes vertically arranged taillights, a rear wiper, and a centre-mounted license plate.  Although official dimensions have not been released, Japanese kei car regulations limit overall length to 3,400 mm, width t...