BYD’s ultra-compact EV spied undergoing testing, aiming for Japan’s kei car market

CarNewsChina reports that BYD is currently developing a prototype of a mini-sized electric vehicle with one goal: to capture Japan’s kei car market.

Although still covered in camouflage stickers, the car showcases features such as sliding rear doors, twin A-pillars, and a relatively high window glass housing structure.

This demonstrates BYD’s seriousness in creating a product that complies with the dimensional regulations set for the kei car segment in Japan.

For your information, the kei car segment is a category of ultra-compact cars in Japan, with a maximum length of 3.4 meters, a width of 1.48 meters, and a height of 2 meters.

Furthermore, engine power is limited to a maximum of 64 hp according to the agreement of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).

Although BYD currently offers the Seagull as its smallest EV, its size is still too large to be categorized as a kei car.

According to reports from China, BYD’s electric ‘kei car’ will be equipped with a 20 kWh battery that offers a range of about 180 km (WLTC data), along with support for fast charging at 100 kW.

BYD plans to produce this electric kei car in China for export to the Japanese market starting in late 2026, with the ambition to capture 40 percent of the electric kei car market within a few years.

Currently, the kei car market in Japan offers two EV models: the Nissan Sakura and its twin, the Mitsubishi eK X EV.

Both models were launched in 2022, equipped with a 64 hp electric motor producing 195 Nm of torque, and a 20 kWh battery pack with a driving range of up to 180 km.