BYD Unveils World's First SDV-Architecture Micro EV, Racco

BYD officially launched its first battery-electric micro vehicle for the Japanese market — Racco — on Tuesday, touting it as the "world's first light-duty EV built on an SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) architecture." Targeting Japan's long-domestic-dominated Kei Car segment, Racco aims to break in with intelligent features, extended range, and strong value-for-money.

Racco is offered in two variants — 200 and 300 — with three trim levels: Base, Plus, and Premium. The Racco 200 Base mounts a 22.4 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, delivering a WLTC range of 210 km (~130 miles). The Racco 300 Plus and Premium models feature a larger 35.84 kWh battery, achieving a WLTC range of 320 km (~199 miles) — claimed by BYD as the first Kei EV in Japan to exceed 300 km under WLTC testing.

At 3,395 mm × 1,475 mm × 1,800 mm, Racco's dimensions closely match those of the Honda N-Box — the top-selling vehicle in Japan for four consecutive years. Although the N-Box starts at a lower price (~¥105,000 RMB), Racco qualifies for Japan's ¥150,000 JPY (~$900 USD) government EV purchase subsidy, bringing its effective starting price down to ¥1,995,000 JPY (~¥122,000 RMB). BYD also offers a leasing plan starting at just ¥19,300 JPY per month (~$115 USD).

As an SDV-architecture vehicle, Racco features a fully re-engineered chassis, body, and powertrain. Its onboard software supports smartphone-like over-the-air (OTA) updates, enabling continuous functional upgrades. The interior adopts BYD's "Ocean Aesthetics" design language, featuring a 10.1-inch floating central touchscreen and a compact digital instrument display.

Yang Buyi, BYD's Director of Kei Car Development, stated that Racco employs a "BEV-dedicated" Super Tall x Sliding Door design — balancing convenience for families and spatial flexibility for younger users.

In terms of competition, Racco's starting price of ¥2,145,000 JPY (~¥131,000 RMB) undercuts Japan's current best-selling pure-electric Kei car — the Nissan Sakura (¥2,448,600 JPY, ~¥150,000 RMB) — while offering significantly greater WLTC range (up to 320 km vs. Sakura's maximum of 180 km / 111 miles). However, no launch plans for China or other overseas markets have been announced; Racco is currently available only in Japan, where pre-orders and dealer network rollout have begun.