Toyota, BYD lead modest EV sales growth in Japan
Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in Japan in 2025 increased modestly by 1.6 percent from the previous year, reaching 60,677 units, industry data showed Thursday.
The first growth in two years highlighted continued challenges in adoption due to limited charging infrastructure and a narrow selection of models, News.Az reports, citing Kyodo.
The slight increase, which excludes commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks, came despite new and revamped models from Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., along with efforts by Chinese automaker BYD Co. to expand its presence in the Japanese market.
The figures were released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association.
EVs accounted for just 1.6 percent of all new passenger vehicles in Japan. Registrations of EVs excluding minivehicles rose 17.1 percent to 39,885 units, while EV minivehicle registrations fell 19.0 percent to 20,792 units.
At Toyota, sales of the bZ4X model, boosted by increased driving range and competitive pricing, grew 2.3-fold to 4,203 units. Meanwhile, BYD’s EV sales surged 68.3 percent to 3,742 vehicles, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association.
Industry observers suggest the sluggish growth may prompt automakers to rethink strategies to popularize EVs in Japan. EVs are viewed as greener alternatives to gasoline-powered cars as countries push for decarbonization, though the European Commission has recently scaled back plans to ban gasoline and diesel vehicles from 2035.
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