China’s BYD Takes On Japanese Rivals With Small ‘Kei’ Car The recent launch of BYD's Racco, a super compact electric "kei" car in Japan, marks a significant moment for the Chinese automaker as it seeks to carve out a niche in one of the world's most challenging and peculiar markets.
The kei car category, with its diminutive size and quirky appeal, has long been a staple of Japanese roads, accounting for nearly 40% of new vehicle sales.
Japan's car market is a unique blend of traditionalism and innovation. Kei cars, which can be no larger than 1. 4 meters in width or 3. 4 meters in length, have been a mainstay of Japanese road culture since the 1940s.