Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD has once again demonstrated its strong market presence not only in its home country but beyond. According to the press release, the BYD Dolphin and Atto 3 commanded the spotlight at the prestigious 2023 Japan EV of the Year awards.
About the 2023 Japan EV of the Year
Electric vehicle industry media platform EVsmart and energy consultant Enechange hosted the 2023 Japan EV of the Year award competition, seeking to acknowledge the best models available in the country and thereby promote the shift to electric mobility.
The competition took into account all-electric passenger cars launched between October 2022 and October 2023. The selection period started on December 4, 2023, and ended on January 31, 2024.
Here is the list of eligible BEV models for selection (in chronological order of their release dates), as displayed on the official website :
| Brand | Model | Release Date/Order Start | |
| 1 | Mitsubishi Motors | Minicab MiEV | November 2022 (Resumed Sales) |
| 2 | Volkswagen | ID.4 | November 2022 |
| 3 | Audi | Q4 e-tron | November 2022 |
| 4 | BYD | ATTO 3 | January 2023 |
| 5 | BMW | iX1 | February 2023 |
| 6 | HW ELECTRO | ELEMO-L | March 2023 (Order Start) |
| 7 | Audi | Q8 e-tron | March 2023 |
| 8 | Lexus | RZ450e | March 2023 |
| 9 | Tesla | Model S (Update) | May 2023 (Order Start) |
| 10 | Tesla | Model X (Update) | May 2023 (Order Start) |
| 11 | Mercedes-Benz | EQS SUV | May 2023 |
| 12 | BMW | i5 | May 2023 |
| 13 | ASF | ASF2.0 | May 2023 (Sales Start) |
| 14 | Mercedes-Benz | EQE SUV | August 2023 |
| 15 | Tesla | Model 3 (Update) | September 2023 (Order Start) |
| 16 | BYD | DOLPHIN | September 2023 |
| 17 | Hyundai | KONA | September 2023 (Order Start) |
| 18 | Fiat | Abarth 500e | October 2023 |
It is worth noting that the selection includes two methods: public vote and evangelist vote. People interested in participating in the public vote can use the voting form. Meanwhile, evangelists are representatives from media outlets, EV-related companies, and EV owners’ clubs, among others of the like.
BYD Dolphin – Grand Prix award
BYD’s all-electric compact hatchback Dolphin dominated the competition, winning the highest-ranking “Grand Prix” award with 241 points.
Some of the BYD Dolphin’s winning attributes include its competitive battery capacity at an affordable price. For instance, the standard model offers a 44.9kWh battery capacity for only 3.63 million yen, while the long-range model with a larger 58.56kWh battery costs 4,070,000 yen. It also delivers high performance with advanced driving support functions.
Moreover, BYD’s design strategy to reduce the model’s vehicle height from 1,570mm to 1,550mm for the Japanese market made it easier for owners to fit it into multi-story parking lots.
BYD Atto 3 – Excellence Award
BYD Atto 3 ranked third in the Grand Prix competition with 145 points, enabling it to secure the Excellence Award.
It is worth noting that the compact electric SUV was BYD’s first electric vehicle offering in the Japanese market. Some of its winning attributes include its 58.56kWh battery capacity, advanced driving support functions, electric power seats, and a price of just 4.4 million yen.
The 2023 Japan EV Of The Year award highlights the scarcity of Japanese-made electric vehicle models. Of the 18 contenders, only four Japanese EVs—the Lexus RZ and three electric work vans—were included. Therefore, it would be crucial for the Japanese industry to start intensifying its electrification efforts to avoid China’s further dominance in the country.
