BYD to sell 2,221 vehicles in Japan in 2024

Data released by the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA) on April 4 showed that the sales of imported vehicles (excluding Japanese brand vehicles) in 2024 were 230,230, a decrease of 6% from the previous year. It has been decreasing for six consecutive years since 2019. Due to the depreciation of the yen and rising prices, the number of moderately priced imported models has decreased, resulting in a decline in sales. BYD, a Chinese pure electric vehicle (EV) giant, sold 2,221 vehicles in Japan, a year-on-year increase of 10%.

BYD’s pure electric sedan “Seal” launched in June 2024 performed well. From the perspective of imported vehicles as a whole, EV sales increased by 4% year-on-year to 24,868 units, an increase for six consecutive years. Models such as the SUV “EX30” of Swedish Volvo Cars drove the growth.

By brand, Germany’s Mercedes-Benz was 52,761 units, a year-on-year increase of 2%, ranking first for 10 consecutive years. The second place was Germany’s BMW, with 36,551 units, a year-on-year increase of 8%. The third place is Volkswagen (VW) of Germany, with 25,653 units, a year-on-year decrease of 20%.

In terms of the price of passenger cars, models below 4 million yen (about 199,800 yuan) decreased by 30% year-on-year to 37,970 units. Due to the exchange rate fluctuation towards the depreciation of the yen and the rise in prices, many imported models have increased in price and sales have dropped significantly. The sales of models above 4 million yen and below 10 million yen (about 499,500 yuan) were 142,914 units, a year-on-year increase of 2%. The sales of models above 10 million yen were 40,524 units, a year-on-year increase of 7%.