Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD has just debuted its first electric mini Kei Car, the RACCO in Japan, (yes you read it right …. BYD is entering the Kei Car segment) targeting a very popular vehicle segment in the country.
The Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) giant unveiled the BYD RACCO at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 today, saying the four-door compact car is slated for a 2026 launch in Japan.
The RACCO marks BYD’s second model tailored for overseas markets following the Shark hybrid pickup, as the company continues its international expansion efforts.
The RACOO expected to have roughly 20 kWh LFP battery capable of 180km (which is just 112 miles) of WLTC range supporting 100 kW DC fast charging and should carry a price tag of around USD17,000 (which is about RM69k). The Kei Cars are typically under 3.4 meters long and less than 1.48 meters wide.
The BYD brand is NOT new to Japan as this RACCO is following the sales success of the Yuan Plus, Dolphin, Seal and Sealion 07 electric cars.
Right now the RM78,000 Mitsubishi e-KX and Nissan Sakura is leading the electric Kei Car segment in Japan. Did you know that Kei Cars are micro-cars exclusive to the Japanese market, designed specifically for narrow roads and tight parking spaces.
Meanwhile, the lithium-ion battery that has been packaged with the Nissan Sakura is on the small size at just 20kWh. This enables a range of just 180km which takes 8 hours to fully recover from flat on a standard wall charger. With a quick-charger, the Sakura recovers 80% of its battery capacity in just 40 minutes. The single electric motor output is just 47kW but packs a punch in terms of torque with 195Nm available immediately.
With a driving range of 180 km per charge sufficient for everyday use, the Mitsubishi eK X EV is equipped with a newly developed drive battery with a total power capacity of 20 kWh.
