BYD Auto Japan, a unit of Chinese automaker BYD, has announced its entry into the passenger vehicle market in Japan with the launch of three EV models: the Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal.

The Atto 3 is expected to go on sale in Japan in January. The Dolphin and Seal will follow later in 2023.

BYD is no newcomer to the Japanese market—it began selling rechargeable batteries there in 1999. Since then, BYD has sold energy storage products, electric buses and electric forklifts in Japan. The first batch of zero-emission buses was delivered to Kyoto in 2015, and the company says that “large-scale operation has been achieved in cities including Fukushima, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagasaki and Okinawa.”

“Over the years, BYD has been deeply engaged in the Japanese market and has accumulated a good market and brand foundation through its pure electric buses, energy storage systems, pure electric forklifts and other businesses,” said BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu. “Today, BYD officially hits the new energy passenger vehicle market in Japan. We are devoted to providing Japanese consumers with leading technologies, excellent products and high-quality services.”

Source: BYD