BYD's First EV K-Car for Japan, the "Haita" RACCO, Launches This Summer-Fall

BYD’s Japan-exclusive all-electric kei car, the BYD RACCO (Chinese name: “Haita” or “Sea Otter”), is scheduled to launch officially in Japan in summer or autumn 2024. This marks the first time BYD has independently developed a new model specifically for a single overseas market, signaling a strategic shift toward deeper localization in its global approach. Previously, BYD had specially tuned its Shark pickup for the Australian market. The RACCO is equipped with a 20 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, delivering an estimated WLTC range of approximately 180 km on a single charge. It supports DC fast charging at up to 100 kW, enabling the battery to charge from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes. The vehicle features a front-mounted, front-wheel-drive single-motor layout and a four-door configuration with dual sliding rear doors—designed to meet the demands of Japan’s narrow urban streets. With dimensions of 3,395 mm in length, 1,475 mm in width, and 1,800 mm in height—and a wheelbase of 2,490 mm—the RACCO complies with Japan’s kei car regulations, which cap vehicle size at 3,400 × 1,480 × 2,000 mm (L×W×H). The interior adopts a right-hand-drive layout and carries forward BYD’s “Ocean Aesthetics” design language, featuring a floating central touchscreen and a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel. All variants come standard with an L2+ advanced driver-assistance system. Priced at approximately ¥2.5 million (around RMB 107,000), the RACCO falls within the mainstream price range for Japanese kei cars. The project is led by Hirohisa Tagawa, General Manager of BYD Japan’s Planning Division, who previously spent nearly 30 years at Nissan Motor Co., where he spearheaded the development of kei models such as the Nissan Dayz and Sakura. Tagawa noted that Japan’s passenger vehicle market currently offers virtually no all-electric kei cars, and the RACCO aims to fill this gap. In the short term, the focus is not on profitability but on building brand awareness and establishing a strategic presence through product delivery and service quality.