BYD is preparing to take its Racco electric car beyond Japan, with Sri Lanka and Macau named as its first additional markets. Reservations have opened in Macau, while an official presentation and the start of sales in Sri Lanka are scheduled for Friday. BYD announced the expansion at a dealership event in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo.
The ceremony also marked the delivery of BYD’s 10,000th vehicle in Japan. The company entered Japan’s passenger-car market in January 2023 and has taken about four years to reach that cumulative delivery figure. BYD vice-president Liu Xueliang said the company expects to reach its next 10,000 deliveries in a shorter period, supported by a stronger sales network and expanded after-sales services.
The Racco was developed for Japan’s kei-car rules, which set strict limits on vehicle dimensions and other characteristics. Its right-hand-drive layout also fits BYD’s initial focus on markets with similar conditions, particularly those where cars are driven from the right-hand side of the vehicle. The model has accumulated close to 2,000 orders in Japan in the two months since launch, according to figures released by BYD.
BYD plans to gauge customer response in Sri Lanka and Macau before deciding whether to take the Racco to other markets. A positive reception could lead to expansion into more right-hand-drive destinations, testing whether a car shaped by Japan’s kei segment can find buyers elsewhere.