BYD Co’s Japanese division said it would begin selling its first battery electric vehicles in the country by early 2023, as per Reuters.
The world’s largest electric vehicle maker further enhances its plan to make or sell its cars available in major markets.
China’s BYD, which Berkshire Hathaway owns a stake, stated it would launch an electric SUV, ATTO 3, in Japan beginning January 31. The car has a 485 km cruising distance and would cost ¥4.4 million ($32,735).
In contrast, Nissan Motor Co’s electric Leaf standard model has a 322 km cruising range and costs about ¥3.7 million ($27,029).
The company said that BYD’s Japan division plans to roll out two more models by the end of next year and over 100 dealerships by the end of 2025.
Gasoline-electric hybrid more popular in Japan
Gasoline-electric hybrid models continue to be more popular than BEVs in Japan. However, the share of battery-driven vehicles is anticipated to grow, partly because non-Japanese automakers like BYD and Volkswagen are making their way into the market.
In addition, BYD’s Japan division plans to set up tentative retailers beginning in late January in 22 cities. However, it’s eager to cover all 47 prefectures, says Atsuki Tofukuji, BYD Auto Japan Inc chief executive.
We hope that we can make our presence felt little by little as we work toward carbon neutrality and as our customers demand a variety of choices.
Atsuki Tofukuji, BYD Auto Japan Inc chief executive
Recently, Japanese automakers have been criticized by green investors and activists, who slam them for not adopting BEVs quickly enough.
Toyota’s fully-electric bZ4X
Notably, Toyota Motor Corp started domestically selling its first mass-produced all-electric vehicle, bZ4X, in May as lease-only in its market, charging ¥106,700 ($779) monthly for the first four years in a 10-year contract.
However, due to safety concerns, the automaker recalled the vehicles less than two months later. It started producing again in October.
Toyota considers competing in the growing market
A year into the brand’s $38 billion EV plan, Toyota is considering beginning once more to better compete in a market growing beyond the automaker’s estimations.
