According to media reports, BYD sold 1,084 vehicles in Japan during the first half of this year, capturing a 2.7% share of Japan's electric vehicle (EV) market.
Data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA) shows that Japan imported 113,887 vehicles in the first half of this year, a 7% year-on-year decrease. However, EV imports have been on the rise. The data indicates that Japan imported 10,785 EVs in the first half of this year, a 17% increase year-on-year, accounting for nearly 10% of the total vehicle imports.
Preliminary data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association, and Japan Automobile Importers Association shows that domestic EV sales in Japan for the first half of this year were 29,282 units, a 39% decrease year-on-year. This decline is mainly due to a 38% drop in sales of the Nissan Sakura, a five-door mini EV similar to the Wuling Hongguang MINI EV. During the same period, sales of light passenger EVs in Japan were 13,540 units, with the Nissan Sakura accounting for 90%. Overall, EVs accounted for 1.6% of the Japanese passenger car market in the first half of the year, a 0.7 percentage point decrease from the same period last year.
Market intelligence agency Argus claims that foreign brands currently dominate Japan's EV market. The agency cited a representative from the Japan Automobile Importers Association, who stated that foreign automakers offer a wider range of EV models compared to Japanese domestic automakers.
On January 31st of last year, BYD began selling the Atto 3 SUV (known as "Yuan PLUS" in China) in Japan. In September of last year, BYD launched the Dolphin hatchback in Japan and introduced the Seal sedan this June.
In the first half of this year, BYD's sales in Japan increased by 88% year-on-year. This growth helped BYD jump from 19th to 14th in the sales ranking among importers in Japan. In June, BYD sold 149 vehicles in Japan, a 60% year-on-year increase. BYD plans to increase the number of its sales outlets in Japan from the current 55 to 90 by the end of this year. Additionally, BYD aims to sell 30,000 vehicles in the Japanese market by 2025.
