What's this? A Chinese car winning an award in Japan?
For some of you, that might come as a surprise. But the judges have spoken, and Japan's EV of the Year in 2024 is the BYD Dolphin. In fact, BYD won big this year as the Atto 3 was also chosen as the second runner-up.
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Before you ask, yes, BYD does have a presence in Japan. It's one of the few Chinese automakers in the Land of the Rising Sun, but it's quickly making waves. The latest set of awards could futher boost the company's reputation there.
The BYD Dolphin won the award following votes from the motoring media, along with scrutineering from judges from Japan's motoring beat. The reason for the win? Simply put, the judges praised its performance, value proposition, range, and advanced driver assist systems. With the goal of making EVs more accessible to the buying public, the Dolphin's overall package helped it seal the deal.
In Japan, there are two versions of the Dolphin available. The first one has a battery capacity of 44.9kWh that costs 3,630,000 yen. The latter is the long-range variant battery capacity of 58.56 kWh and retails for 4,070,000 yen.
As mentioned, the Atto 3 finished second runner up in this year's running of EV of the Year. The judges noted BYD's 'seriousness' in expanding EV usage in Japan, and it helps that judges praised its overall performance.
So, is this win in Japan going to be enough for consumers to accept Chinese cars? Perhaps to a degree, yes, but it will be interesting to see how it will progress from this point. Who knows, we might even see more Chinese cars in Japan, a country that clings on dearly to its home market models.
