BYD announced this week its official entry into the passenger vehicle market in Japan, starting with three models in 2023.
At first, BYD will offer the Atto 3 model (known as Yuan Plus in China, and offered as Atto 3 also in Australia). Sales of the BYD Atto 3 are expected to begin in January 2023.
The second model to be the BYD Dolphin, scheduled for mid-2023, and the third will be the all-new BYD Seal, scheduled for the second half of 2023.
All three electric cars are based on BYD's e-platform 3.0 and powered by BYD Blade Battery (LFP chemistry and cell-to-pack system). In the case of the Seal, the battery is structural - CTB (cell-to-body).
According to BYD, "these three EVs bring more choices and further enhance the local electric passenger vehicle market". Well, it will be interesting to see the response from Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and other Japanese manufacturers, which in recent years must compete with more and more foreign BEVs on their own soil.
Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD, said:
"As one of the first enterprises to develop electric vehicles in the world, BYD has accumulated 27 years of expertise and experience in the field of new energy vehicles, and has mastered the advanced technologies spanning batteries, electric motors, electronic control systems and automotive-grade chips. Today, with the support and expectation of consumers, BYD officially hits the new energy passenger vehicle market in Japan. Through the joint efforts of BYD and the local NEV market, we are dedicated to leading the way in e-mobility for a better life.”
BYD is not entirely new in Japan, as the company was already selling various products, including rechargeable batteries (since 1999), solar energy products, pure electric buses, pure electric forklifts, and more. Passenger electric cars are just another chapter of the ongoing expansion.
Considering how relatively narrow the domestic BEV offer in Japan currently is, BYD has a big chance to secure a bridgehead.
Currently, the company is present in 70 countries (over 400 cities) on six continents, but its plug-in electric car sales are focused in China (133,762 in June with only 2,177 exported).
