BYD’s kei EV already looks like a hit with 1,000+ orders in 2 weeks

BYD’s first electric kei car received over 1,000 orders in just two weeks after it went on sale.

BYD Racco EV orders reach over 1,000 in two weeks

BYD is going where no foreign brand has gone before. The Chinese EV giant officially launched Racco on July 28, its first electric kei vehicle, specifically designed to crack open Japan’s tiny-car market, long dominated by domestic brands like Nissan, Honda, Toyota, and Suzuki.

The Racco is already off to a promising start. BYD announced on Monday that its new mini EV received over 1,000 cumulative orders in its first two weeks on the market.

BYD said it was “the fastest pace for any model introduced to date,” and the vehicle was “attracting significant attention throughout Japan.”

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According to a survey from early buyers, the Racco is exceeding expectations for its “excellent cost-performance ratio,” features, and craftsmanship.

About 80% of buyers chose the more expensive Racco 300 Premium trim, 14% chose the Plus, and the remaining 6% chose the base 200 model.

Interestingly, 37.5% of buyers added the Racco as an additional vehicle, 35.7% replaced their old vehicle, and 26.8% purchased it as a new vehicle.

BYD said 55.4% of early buyers already had EV charging equipment at home, 43% did not, and 1.6% did not answer.

Why are buyers interested? For one, BYD’s electric kei car is more efficient and, thanks to its electric powertrain, it also has lower maintenance costs. The Racco offers more advanced features as a software-defined vehicle (SDV), and with software updates it will continue to 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.

By the end of 2026, BYD aims to secure 10,000 cumulative orders. With over 1,000 in its first two weeks, it shouldn’t be too hard to hit.