BYD Racco Hits 1,000 Orders in 2 Weeks in Japan
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- BYD's Racco kei EV launched July 28 in Japan and surpassed 1,000 orders in its first two weeks, the fastest pace for any model in BYD's history to date.
- The Racco starts at ¥2,145,000 (~$13,000) and drops to ¥1,995,000 after a ¥150,000 government subsidy, undercutting the Nissan Sakura EV (¥2,448,600) while running slightly above Honda's N-Box (¥1,739,100), Japan's best-selling vehicle.
- The base Racco 200 uses a 22.4 kWh LFP battery with 210 km of WLTC range; the 300 Plus and Premium trims use a 35.84 kWh pack delivering up to 320 km — making it the first kei EV in Japan to clear 300 km.
- Roughly 80% of early buyers chose the top-tier Premium trim, 14% the Plus, and 6% the base 200; 37.5% added the Racco as a second vehicle, 35.7% replaced an existing car, and 26.8% bought it as their first car.
- BYD is targeting 10,000 cumulative Racco orders by the end of 2026, putting it roughly 10% of the way there after just two weeks on sale.
- Early buyers cited the Racco's cost-performance ratio, software-defined vehicle features with over-the-air updates, and lower maintenance from its electric powertrain as key purchase drivers.
Why it matters: BYD is the first foreign brand to seriously contest Japan's kei market, long locked by Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and Suzuki. With 1,000 orders in two weeks against a 10,000-unit 2026 goal and an effective sub-¥2M post-subsidy price that undercuts the Nissan Sakura EV, BYD is converting Japanese buyers — including 37.5% adding it as a second car.
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