In Japan, Chinese BYD sells more electric cars than Toyota

After an already rather satisfactory first year in 2023, BYD is ending the year with a bang on the Japanese market. Not thanks to extraordinary volumes, but by a strong symbol. The Chinese manufacturer has in fact sold more electric cars there than Toyota.

It was in the summer of 2022 that BYD confirmed its arrival on the Japanese market. In its grand plan of world conquest, the archipelago does not represent a significant prospect in terms of volume. This is a country not very open to foreign manufacturers, and not very receptive to electric vehicles, with less than 2% market share. But above all it is a symbol for the Chinese brand.

And in terms of symbolism, the objective has clearly been achieved for 2024. BYD has thus sold more electric cars than the world number one, in the confines of its national market which it largely dominates…

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A symbol because BYD has actually only sold 2,223 electric cars in Japan in 2024 with its range made up of the Dolphin, Atto3 and Seal. An increase of 54% compared to 2023 and 185 more cars than Toyota (2038), down 30%… BYD will launch its fourth model in Japan in 2025, the Sealion 07 crossover.

BYD is, however, not number one in electric vehicles in the archipelago. This role falls to Nissan with the good results of the little kei Sakura. But with only 22,926 units, the latter saw its sales collapse by 38% in 2024… For its part, Tesla sold around 5,000 cars in Japan last year.