BYD to invade Toyota, Nissan, and Honda's Japanese EV expansion plans with 3 models in 2023

Even though Japanese carmakers are making strides with electric vehicle (EV) technology overseas, back home, it’s still a niche market. Still, Chinese EV carmaker BYD Auto has thrown its hat by announcing it will enter Japan with 3 models in 2023.

The first of the trio to be launched in the land of the rising sun is the BYD Atto 3 which is expected to go on sale in January 2023. The Atto 3 is also known as the BYD Yuan Plus in China and is the company’s first global model.

Measuring 4,455 mm in length, the Atto 3 is longer than the Proton X50 despite its compact looks and is just 5 mm shorter than the Toyota Corolla Cross. There are two range versions offered in China, a 430 km range powered by a 49.92 kWh battery pack and a 510 km range with a 60.48 kWh battery. Both ranges mentioned are CLTC range.

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The Chinese-spec Atto 3 is powered by an electric motor with a peak power of 150 kW (204 PS) and a peak torque of 310 Nm. The name is taken from attosecond which is the smallest time scale unit in physics.

The next models to be introduced in Japan are the BYD Dolphin and the BYD Seal, scheduled for mid-2023 and the second half of 2023 respectively.

The BYD Dolphin is the first model in BYD’s Ocean series and is followed by the BYD Seal. Now it all makes sense as to why the models come with aquatic names.

The Dolphin is a B-segment electric hatchback and is powered by a 70 kW motor or 130 kW motor in China and has a range of between 300 to 400 km (NEDC) depending on the battery size.

Also read: BYD to sign agreement with ex-Nissan Thailand distributor, Dolphin EV to be first model launched

Meanwhile, the BYD Seal is set to be a Tesla Model 3 competitor. Hence, unlike the Atto 3 and Dolphin, its electric motor powers the rear wheels or all four. In China, the Seal is offered in 4 variants:

• Standard Range, RWD Elite/Premium – 550 km range, 150 kW motor
• Long Range RWD – 700 km range, 230 kW motor
• Long Range AWD Performance – 650 km range, 390 kW motor

The AWD Performance variant is claimed to go from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. Battery capacity is 61.44 kWh in the Standard Range variants while Long Range versions get an 82.56 kWh battery.

The Seal is also the first BYD model to use the cell-to-body (CTB) structural battery system. As mentioned on the tin, the battery becomes a structural element of the entire vehicle instead of being combined with modules.

BYD claims the new CTB battery increases the battery pack volume utilization by 66% and a 50% increase in structural safety in an event of a frontal crash.

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The Chinese brand isn’t exactly new in Japan as it currently offers rechargeable batteries, pure electric buses, and pure electric forklifts to local businesses. The trio of passenger cars would be the first time BYD would be offered to Japanese buyers but could it win over buyers?

Also read: Can the Nissan Sakura blossom into a successful EV in Japan?

Besides Japan, BYD is also looking to expand its passenger EVs into a few markets outside of China with Australia and Singapore among the markets announced during the Atto 3’s debut in February 2022. Nissan’s former Thai partners also announced interest in introducing the BYD Dolphin into the Kingdom sometime in the future.

Also read: BYD to assemble CKD EVs in Malaysia through CSH Alliance