BYD makes Japan's mobility greener

BYD Auto Japan said it has updated its Atto 3, a midsize electric sport utility vehicle, and will launch a new showroom in Tokyo on Saturday, its 22nd in Japan and fourth in the city, to underscore its commitment to environmentally friendly mobility.

A wholly owned subsidiary of BYD Japan, BYD Auto Japan specializes in passenger cars. "Our showroom network has grown steadily, and we are committed to providing more opportunities for customers to interact with our products," said Atsuki Tofukuji, president of BYD Auto Japan, at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.

Liu Xueliang, general manager of BYD Asia-Pacific's auto sales division and president of BYD Japan, said, "We will continue to bring the latest technological products and services from BYD to Japan and contribute to a more technological and greener future."

The newest showroom will also exhibit the company's compact EV Dolphin. It was in February 2023 that the company opened its first showroom BYD AUTO Tomei Yokohama. It aims to set up over 100 dealerships across Japan by the end of 2025.

"New models like the Atto 3 and the Dolphin series have contributed to an increase in orders and registrations, with over 1,440 newly licensed BYD electric passenger cars by the end of last year. We are confident that we will continue to see growth, especially with the upcoming launch of our new model later this year," Tofukuji said.

Founded in 1995 as a battery manufacturer, the Shenzhen-head-quartered BYD Group now operates in diverse fields such as IT, electronics, automobiles, new energy and urban mobility. In July 2022, BYD entered the Japanese passenger vehicle market and commenced its rapid local development since then.

BYD Auto Japan executives said they recognized that Japanese consumers like to physically experience vehicles before deciding whether or not to buy. So, the company has focused on expanding its dealer network rapidly.

Last year alone, BYD sold 3.02 million NEVs globally. From the time it started sales to the end of January, the group sold more than 6.5 million NEVs in all worldwide.

"By the end of 2023, BYD's global automobile owners collectively drove about 192 billion kilometers, achieving a reduction of 46.23 million metric tons of carbon emissions, offsetting 770 million trees worth of carbon dioxide. These figures represent significant progress toward our commitment to addressing societal issues," Liu said.

"Furthermore, we are expanding our green transportation network with projects like monorails and sky paths to alleviate congestion. Through these efforts, we are advancing toward a greener Earth," he said.

On Friday, BYD Auto Japan started retailing its updated Atto 3 at 4.5 million yen ($29,883), including consumption tax.

The model's updates include the addition of the cosmos black color and the black/dark blue interior color option. The size of the large touchscreen has been also increased from 12.8 inches to 15.6 inches.

Additionally, BYD Store has been added to the display, allowing users to access three new apps: Amazon Music, Search Browser and Karaoke.