BYD987 Archivesplanning to launch a tiny, affordable electric vehicle model in Japan in the second half of 2026, making its entry into the smallest street-legal passenger car segment in the country known as “Kei cars,” a company executive recently told the Financial Times. Atsuki Tofukuji, president of BYD Auto Japan, did not reveal many details about the car, although it will be cheaper than the Dolphin small hatchback that is priced at ¥2.9 million ($20,700) in Japan, the report said. Meanwhile, Tofukuji said he expected the tiny motor vehicle would allow BYD’s Japan business to reach the break-even point of selling 150 cars per store annually, as the Chinese EV giant plans to operate 100 local showrooms by the end of this year. [Financial Times]
