JMS 2025: BYD debuts Racco all-electric kei car

MANILA: BYD has unveiled the Racco at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show (JMS). The aforementioned is a significant milestone for the brand as it signals its future entrance in the Japanese Domestic Market’s (JDM) “kei” car segment. 

For the unaware, a kei car is a class of vehicle that meets the smallest possible size and engine restrictions in the Land of the Rising Sun. These often come with some of the lowest annual automobile taxes (jidōsha-zei), as such, they also command highly accessible retail prices. 

Historically, the kei segment has remained the playground for Japanese car brands. But with the BYD Racco prototype's debut at the 2025 JMS, it signals the Shenzen-headquartered company’s intent to penetrate the said vehicle class. 

The Racco, however, unlike most kei cars that use internal combustion 660-cubic-centimeter engines, is an all-electric vehicle.

As mentioned, it is a prototype, so no specifications of its powertrain were shared. Regardless, it will come in two variants: a long-range model and a short-range variant, with both fitted with the company’s Blade Battery.

Style-wise, the BYD Racco mostly follows the boxy, tall-roofed, wagon-styled body that is prevalent on many kei cars in Japan like the Honda N-Box, Nissan Sakura, Mitsubishi Delica Mini, and Daihatsu Tanto - among others. 

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With the said shape, the vehicle is touted to be capable of navigating through Japan’s narrow neighborhood streets. 

The BYD Racco also has sliding doors for easier ingress and egress, and a unique, BYD-flavored front end equipped with a tall windshield, a closed-off grille section, black-colored trim pieces, and a lineup of LED lighting fixtures. 

For now, no prices for the BYD Racco were shared, but BYD shared that it will start the model’s pre-selling period sometime in mid-2026. 

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