China's BYD opens first dealership in Japan

YOKOHAMA, Japan - China's BYD Co Ltd unveiled its first dealership in Japan on Tuesday, taking one of the biggest challenges in its rise as it seeks to win customers deeply loyal to their own auto industry.

BYD, an acronym for Build Your Dreams, has ambitious plans to open more than 100 dealerships in Japan by the end of 2025.

In a country where petrol and hybrid models are more popular than battery electric vehicle BEVs, nine in 10 cars sold annually are built by domestic firms such as Toyota Motor Corp.

If customers trust us and give BYD a chance, we'll have a good chance at succeeding BYD Auto Japan Inc President Atsuki Tofukuji, who opened its first outlet in Yokohama, Japan's second largest city.

In 2022, BYD's ATTO 3 electric sports utility vehicle sold for a total of 1.86 million vehicles, most of which are in China and well ahead of Tesla with a cruising distance of 485 kilometres 301 miles.

About 30 people have contacted the Yokohama dealership to inquire about the new cars, according to Kazuhisa Okamoto, who runs the store.

It's an uphill battle to convince the broader population.

Kazumasa Hanegi, a transportation firm worker in his fifties who was walking his dog near BYD's new dealership, said there was no mistake that I'll buy a domestically made car if I ever buy an EV.