BYD Racco: China’s Tiny Electric Challenger to Japan’s Kei Car Empire
At the Japan Mobility Show, Chinese carmaker BYD unveiled something few expected: a kei-class electric microcar called the BYD Racco. Designed specifically for Japan, it is due on sale next summer, marking BYD as the first Chinese manufacturer to make a serious attempt at entering the country’s most traditional and fiercely guarded automotive segment.
The Racco fits the kei-car template perfectly, measuring 3395 mm long, 1475 mm wide and 1800 mm tall. BYD hasn’t disclosed the wheelbase yet but claims it’s as long as the regulations allow, maximising interior space. With virtually no overhangs, the Racco promises the sort of cabin room rarely found in cars this small.
Its design is unexpectedly playful: double A-pillars with glass inserts, a floating roof, sleek LED light strips and large sliding rear doors. BYD plans to offer multiple versions, including a sportier RS model with a body kit, and an adventure-themed outdoor variant featuring roof rails and a rear-mounted spare wheel.
Compact battery, city-sized range
Technically, the Racco is very much a city car. Power comes from a front-mounted electric motor fed by a 20 kWh battery, good for around 180 km of range (WLTP). It’s an unpretentious setup aimed squarely at Japan’s urban drivers, where most daily journeys are under 20 kilometres.
The car seats four, and while BYD hasn’t shown the interior yet, it confirmed that two large screens will dominate the cabin — one for instruments, one for infotainment.
Price and positioning
In Japan, the Racco is expected to start at around 2.5 million yen (€15,300), placing it in direct competition with local favourites such as the Daihatsu Move, Honda N-Box and Suzuki Spacia. If the timeline holds, it will become BYD’s fifth model in Japan and its first dedicated small city EV.
The bigger picture: China steps into Japan’s stronghold
BYD’s move signals a strategic shift. Chinese carmakers are no longer content to be seen merely as affordable EV alternatives for Europe or Southeast Asia. Japan remains one of the last markets where domestic brands still dominate, but the electrification of the kei segment could open the door to new challengers.
If BYD can match the reliability and practicality that Japanese buyers expect, the Racco could become a small but symbolic Trojan horse — proof that even in the miniature world of Japan’s city cars, China’s EV industry is ready to knock on doors that were once firmly closed.
