The Japanese division of Chinese giant BYD Co. will launch a new electric car model every year until 2026 for the Japanese market to gain a foothold in the country’s young electric passenger vehicle market, business agency Kyodo News reported on Wednesday. of March. February.
The announcement came shortly after BYD snatched the title of the world’s largest seller of electric vehicles from industrial giant Tesla Inc in the final quarter of last year.
Despite the popularity of its vehicles abroad, the company remains relatively unknown in Japan, where all-electric vehicles account for just 2% of new vehicle sales.
“We hope to launch new models by listening to customers’ needs and requirements,” Liu Xueliang, head of the Chinese company’s Japanese unit, told Kyodo News.
The models to be launched in Japan will be selected from vehicles the company already sells in China, Liu said.
BYD will introduce the Seal luxury sedan later this year, followed by new models next year and in 2026. The company currently sells two electric vehicle models in Japan: the ATTO 3 SUV and the compact Dolphin.
BYD, which sold a total of more than 1,400 vehicles in Japan as of December, said it would increase the number of its dealerships in the country to 100 in 2025 from the current 20.
As part of its efforts to increase brand awareness, BYD will also launch a marketing campaign in 30 locations this year, including commercial properties across Japan, to allow potential customers to take a look at the vehicles and take a test drive. driving.
The company also presented a new version of the ATTO 3, priced at 4.5 million yen (2.75 million rubles) and which will go on sale in dealerships nationwide on Friday.
The new car features a large touch screen on the dashboard and a karaoke app that allows passengers to sing inside the car.
“One of the factors behind the slow adoption of electric vehicles in Japan is that customers did not have many models to choose from,” Liu said at a news conference in Tokyo. “We hope to expand the range of options for different customers.”
Source: Rossa Primavera
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