TOKYO — Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is preparing to enter the Japanese market for lightweight minicars, which is dominated by domestic manufacturers, as early as 2026, Nikkei has learned.
Minicars, or kei-jidosha (light vehicles) in Japanese, are unique to the country and account for about 40% of the overall Japanese car market. The unique standards for minicars have been seen as a barrier to market entry for foreign companies.
