BYD Racco joins Japan's kei car segment

After releasing a teaser photo of its mini EV, BYD has officially revealed its kei car fighter at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show (JMS). This is the BYD Racco, and it serves as the brand’s first model that was exclusively designed for an overseas market.

The Racco may be a Chinese-made kei car, but BYD was able to give it a Japanese-inspired design. From the boxy profile to the short overhangs and the quirky looks, the BYD Racco features the hallmark design of a Japanese kei car. The front fascia features C-shaped lighting signatures along with eye-catching LED headlights and blacked-out trim pieces on the bumper.

Like almost every kei car, the BYD Racco has massive windows that allow more light into the cabin and make for better visibility all around. Combined with a tall roof, an upright windshield, a vertical rear, 15-inch alloy wheels, and C-shaped LED taillights with a light bar, the Racco looks right at home in Japan. Size-wise, the BYD Racco measures 3395mm long, 1475mm wide, and 1800mm tall.

We weren’t able to get pictures of the Racco’s cabin, but BYD did say the electric kei car gets a digital instrument cluster, a large touchscreen infotainment system, and comfy seats. Moreover, the Racco is fitted with a suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for better peace of mind while on the road.

The exact specifications have yet to be revealed, although BYD did say it will have a front-wheel drive electric motor. It will also have a lithium-iron phosphate battery pack that will be offered in two different capacities: short range and long range. Based on initial reports, the BYD Racco will be available with a 20 kWh battery pack, which gives it a range of up to 180 km. In addition, the tiny kei car will reportedly have a fast charging rate of up to 100 kW to reduce downtimes.

BYD plans to open pre-selling of the Racco in the middle of 2026 and is estimated to be priced around JPY 2.5 million (or around PHP 960,000). That means it’s slightly more expensive than the Seagull but is cheaper than the Dolphin. But since EVs benefit from zero tariffs, it could be cheaper if BYD plans to offer it in other markets. However, since it’s a kei car, it’s more than likely to be exclusive to the Japanese market.

With BYD taking on the stalwarts of the kei car segment in Japan, the Racco could become a popular choice among Japanese buyers who want a small car without an engine under the hood.