BYD RACCO Takes Aim at Japan's Kei Car Sanctuary
The RACCO's launch marks an overseas automaker's entry into the Japanese kei car segment with a model tailored to local standards, challenging a market long held by domestic manufacturers.
Reporting from 1 source: ASCII.jp.
BYD's kei-car-class EV, the RACCO, launched in Japan in July and is drawing attention as the model is the first from an overseas brand specially developed to match Japan's kei car standards. It adopts a super-height wagon style with sliding doors and undercuts rivals on price.
BYD's RACCO, a light EV that meets Japan's kei car standards, is drawing attention as the first overseas model developed specifically for that market, according to a test drive report from ASCII.jp. The car follows the super-height wagon style with sliding doors, the segment's current bestseller. Its entry model drops below 2 million yen after national EV subsidies, aided by BYD's lithium iron phosphate batteries.
Equipment is generous for the class: electric sliding doors with a foot sensor on upper grades, a smartphone key function, advanced driver assistance with ACC and lane departure prevention, six airbags, and a 10.1-inch display audio system as standard. The technical highlight is BYD's X-PACK, which integrates a control unit into the Blade Battery, leaving only the motor and gears under the hood and freeing space for crash safety. The design is plain both inside and out, which the report attributes to BYD's approach as a Chinese brand.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.