China’s giant BYD will be launching its first fully electric kei at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, scheduled to begin on October 29.
BYD Japan announced on Wednesday that the model is a “prototype light EV designed specifically for Japan’s kei car regulations.”
The vehicle marks the company’s “first overseas-exclusive model,” and it is not yet known if it will be introduced in China later.
The public confirmation comes six months after Japanese media outlet Nikkei reported that BYD was developing a model for the Niponic market, with plans to launch it in the second quarter of 2026.
Kei-jidosha vehicles are known for their smaller size and are ideal for major urban environments, such as the Japanese capital Tokyo, which has over 14 million inhabitants.
To meet the standards, these vehicles must not be longer than 3,400 mm, wider than 1,480 mm, or taller than 2,000 mm. These cars are also limited to 64 horsepower.
Over the past few months, several images of the camouflaged model leaked on Chinese social media, showing its smaller, boxy design, typical of kei cars in Japan.
In terms of power, due to the lightweight body, the new car is expected to be equipped with a 20 kWh BYD Blade battery, capable of delivering a WLTC range of 180 km (about 112 miles).
According to Nikkei, the vehicle is also expected to feature a heat pump AC system and 100kW fast charging capability.
The estimated cost is approximately 2.5 million yen ($17,750), however, pricing details were not yet revealed officially.
In comparison, Japan’s best-selling box-shaped EV is the Nissan Sakura, which sold for 2.6 million yen ($18,250). The model is also the best-selling electric vehicle in the country.
The company is expected to produce the vehicle domestically and then export it to Japan, as it does not have any factories in the island.
BYD entered the Japanese market in early 2023 with the Atto 3 SUV, priced around $30,000 and competing with popular domestic models like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
The Dolphin compact, starting at 2.99 million yen ($19,000), rivals the top-selling Toyota Prius and Nissan LEAF.
Last year, BYD sold 2,223 EVs in Japan, surpassing Toyota‘s 2,038 units.
The domestic brand faced a 30% drop in electric vehicle sales.
Earlier this year, Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda told Automotive News that he thinks one electric vehicle pollutes as much as three hybrid models.
“We have sold some 27 million hybrids. Those hybrids have had the same impact as 9 million BEVs on the road,” he said.
Toyoda then added that “if we were to have made 9 million BEVs in Japan, it would have actually increased the carbon emissions, not reduced them.”
Japan has set a goal for all sales of new passenger vehicles to be electrified vehicles by 2035.
However, in 2024, as one in eight cars sold worldwide was a NEV, the electric vehicles market share in the country was just 2.2%.
EV adoption in Japan has been slow, as consumers remain strongly loyal to domestic brands and Japanese automakers have been hesitant to expand their electric vehicle offerings, favoring hybrids instead.
