BYD overtook Toyota in its all-electric vehicle sales last year for the first time. 59,736 all-electric vehicles were sold in Japan in 2024, down 33% from the previous year – the first decline in four years.

BYD sold 2,223 electric vehicles in 2024, up 54% from the year before. Toyota’s EV sales were down 30% to 2,038 units, according to the Japan Automobile Dealer Association.

BYD entered Toyota’s home market in 2023 with the Atto 3 crossover and Dolphin hatchback. Atto 3 is the international name for Yuan Plus. Later, the BYD Seal EV sedan joined it. In 2025, the Shenzhen-based automaker will launch its fourth car in Japan, the BYD Sealion 07 EV. The BYD Dolphin starts at 2.99 million yen (19,000 USD). All models BYD sells in Japan are all-electric.

EV share fell below 2% in 2024, the lowest among developed markets. While other markets’ EV sales are growing more slowly, Japan’s reluctance to adopt EVs is becoming apparent.

Toyota’s first EV, the bZ4X crossover, rose 10% to 1,012 cars in 2024. The car starts at 5.5 million yen (34,800 USD) in Japan.

Nissan Motor is the market leader in Japan, controlling about 50% of the EV market. However, Nissan sales fell 44% to 30,749 units, the lowest number since 2021. Sales of the Sakura, an electric kei car that embodies Japan’s iconic lightweight minicars, dropped sharply by 38% to 22,926 units. Meanwhile, sales of the Leaf saw an even steeper decline of 48%.

Among imported EV brands, Tesla is a clear market leader, and BYD is at about 40% of its sales in Japan. The company previously announced it plans to open 100 stores in Japan by 2025.