BYD’s electric kei car received over 5,000 orders in its first week

BYD’s electric kei car has already secured over 5,000 orders, more than half of its target by the end of 2026 in just one week.

BYD Racco secures more than 5,000 orders in one week

BYD is going where no foreign brand has gone before. The Chinese EV giant officially launched Racco in Japan on Tuesday, its first electric kei car specifically designed to crack open a market long dominated by domestic brands like Nissan, Honda, Toyota, and Suzuki.

The mini EV is reportedly already off to a promising start. According to ChinaEVHome, BYD’s electric kei car secured over 5,000 orders in one week after opening on July 21.

That’s already half of the initial 10,000 orders BYD aimed to achieve by the end of 2026. The feedback so far has been considerably stronger than for its previous vehicles.

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Foot traffic in showrooms has also increased, with some dealers reportedly seeing over 200 customer visits. In its busiest showrooms, BYD has secured over 60 deposit orders in a single day.

Interestingly, 70% of reservation holders are planning to trade in their existing kei car. The other 30% will add the Racco as a second vehicle.

Why are buyers interested? For one, BYD’s electric kei car is more efficient and, thanks to its electric powertrain, has lower maintenance costs. The Racco is also significantly more advanced as a software-defined vehicle (SDV), with software updates that can introduce new features, much like a smartphone.

BYD’s electric kei car starts at just ¥2,145,000, or about $13,000 in Japan. The base Racco 200 uses a 22.4 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a WLTC driving range of 210 km (130 miles).

The higher-priced 300 Plus and Premium trims use a larger 35.84 kWh battery with a range up to 320 km (199 miles), which BYD said makes it the first kei EV in Japan to offer over 300 km.

While Honda’s N-Box, Japan’s best-selling vehicle, is slightly cheaper, starting at ¥1,739,100 ($10,500), BYD’s kei EV is eligible for a ¥150,000 ($900) government subsidy, bringing the Racco’s starting price to ¥1,995,000 ($12,200).

The Racco is cheaper than the Nissan Sakura, Japan’s current best-selling EV, which starts at ¥2,448,600 ($15,000) and offers a longer driving range. It’s no wonder buyers are lining up for it.