Words: Andrew Sluys
Published 30 July 2026
BYD’s much-anticipated Racco EV has launched in Japan, and as expected it’s quite an attractive offering at its price point.
Aside from being the first non-Japanese brand to build a kei car, the other notable fact of the Racco is the NZ$22,000 price point that it starts at.
News of the Racco’s launch is quite topical, as Honda just launched its Super-One EV in New Zealand recently at $41,900.
The entry-level Racco uses a 22kWh battery, which provides a driving range of up to 210km according to WLTC testing.
Higher-spec models get a 35kWh battery which increases range to 320km, also according to WLTC testing.
It uses an electric motor on the front axle, which produces 47kW and 160Nm.
As for charging, it’s rated to 6kW AC, and 50kW DC.
Measuring at just 3,395mm long, the Racco falls into the kei car category, and sits on BYD’s e-Platform 3.0.
Despite this small footprint, it features an impressive amount of space, with 280-litres in the boot, and 1,372-litres when the seats are folded.
It rides on suspension reportedly designed for urban Japanese roads, and features disc brakes on all four corners.
On the inside, it gets an 8-inch digital cluster, and a 10.1-inch infotainment display. Higher-spec models get a 12.3-inch infotainment display.
The Racco is also capable of over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
As for whether or not the Racco will arrive locally, NZ Autocar previously spoke to BYD NZ general manager Warren Willmot about it.
“You never say never,” Willmot said.
“If we can make the numbers work and it makes sense for the market, we’d look at it. But it has to be at a viable price point and deliver value for dealers.”
