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BYD to duel with Tesla in Japan’s growing EV market

Credit: BYD

Published

3 years ago

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BYD has officially begun selling EVs in Japan, joining the likes of Tesla and Nissan in selling a lineup of electric vehicles in the country.

While Japan has continually proven a challenging market for EVs to enter, this hasn’t stopped major brands like Tesla from jumping into the mix to attempt to change that. Following Tesla’s success in growing that market, BYD has now also decided to join.

BYD it is entering the Japanese market with its small electric crossover, the Atto 3, with deliveries beginning as soon as next month. Vehicles are available at BYD showrooms, with the first showroom opening in Yokohama and 19 more planned to open throughout the rest of 2023. In total, BYD plans to open 100 showrooms over the next 2 years in an effort to catch the wave of demand for EVs that has yet to reach the island nation.

While many have seen this move as forward-thinking and a great move for BYD, Tesla has shown time and time again that conquering the Japanese market is a near-herculean task.

As pointed out by Nikkei Asia, Japan’s total EV sales in 2022, while nearly triple the previous year, only amounted to just over 59,000 units. And in a country of over 125 million people, this is a drop in the bucket. EVs now total only 1.7% of the car market, and while this is the first time EVs have crossed the 1% mark in Japan, the segment still has significant growth to do.

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But BYD itself also faces a set of challenges as it enters the world’s third-largest economy. Perhaps foremost, as an unknown brand in what can be a very insular economy, BYD will likely face a steep climb as it battles with legacy brands. Secondly, while BYD’s first offering, coming in at an affordable 4.4 million yen ($33,800), certainly used to be leading Tesla and even Nissan in pricing, that is no longer the case.

Currently, the Japanese government’s incentive of 650,000 yen ($5,029) brings the price of the Tesla Model 3 down to 4.7 million yen ($36,369) and the price of the Tesla Model Y to 5.15 million yen ($39,841), a price that is a stone’s throw away from the BYD offering.

At the same time, Nissan has also made strides in making its EV offerings significantly more affordable. The incredibly popular Nissan Sakura now starts at 2.5 million yen ($19,330), the Nissan Leaf starts at 4.3 million yen ($33,246), and the top-of-the-line Nissan Ariya starts at a fairly competitive 5.4 million yen ($41,750).

It remains unclear if BYD’s venture into Japan will be a successful one, but it is clear that the market there is not as uncompetitive as it used to be. But with plenty of market share still available for EVs to pick up in the meantime, the Chinese brand is at least well positioned to “catch the wave.”

What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!

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Will is an auto enthusiast, a gear head, and an EV enthusiast above all. From racing, to industry data, to the most advanced EV tech on earth, he now covers it at Teslarati.

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Tesla Model Y reclaims elusive sales title in competitive market

As more EVs have entered the market and some at better prices, Tesla’s Model Y has been put up against some very attractive options.

Published

29 minutes ago

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October 25, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Model Y reclaimed an elusive sales title in one of the most competitive markets it is in, outpacing key rivals and formidable competitors to regain the crown it once was a shoe-in for.

As more EVs have entered the market and some at better prices, Tesla’s Model Y has been put up against some very attractive options.

This is especially prudent in Europe and China, where domestic car companies have been offering attractive and cheap EVs as Tesla alternatives.

However, in September, the Model Y was able to battle back and take over the top sales spot for EVs in Europe.

In September, it had 25,938 sales, and although it was an 8.6 percent decrease compared to the same month in 2024, it was enough to be labeled the best-selling car in the European market, Automotive News reported.

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500-mile test proves why Tesla Model Y still humiliates rivals in Europe

There are four vehicles that have been atop the European EV sales rankings for any given month this year: the Renault Clio, which has three titles, the Dacia Sandero, which has won four monthly sales titles, and the Volkswagen T-Roc, which was the best-selling car in the market in August.

The Clio captured the number-two spot in September with 20,146 sales.

Despite a strong September showing for the Model Y, which was its first monthly sales crown of the year, the vehicle has not been a top-three EV in Europe this year. That is still led by the Sandero, Clio, and T-Roc.

Despite that, Tesla’s Model Y is still likely to be one of the best-selling vehicles in the world, if not the best, for the year.

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In the United States, it has dominated EV sales charts and has been one of the most popular cars in the region. The same goes for China, where the Model Y has more competition than in Europe, but is so attractive because of its premium look and feel, as well as its tech offerings.

The Model Y has been the best-selling car globally for the past two years, outpacing widely popular gas and EV models from around the world.

Tesla also just finished up its best three-month sales period in its history, delivering just shy of half a million vehicles from July to September.

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Tesla dashcam video shows crazy plane crash avoidance maneuver

Published

50 minutes ago

on

October 25, 2025

By

Credit: @davidbellow | X

A Tesla captured video of a crashing plane on an Oklahoma highway, as a shocking video shows a small aircraft coming across a local roadway, with various cars ducking to avoid it.

On October 23, an Oklahoma National Guard OA-1K Skyraider II turboprop plane crashed during a training mission after an engine failure. Both crew members escaped unharmed, but they were not the only ones at risk of injury.

A Tesla Dashcam video shared by a friend of the car’s owner shows the vehicle narrowly avoiding an impact with the plane, swerving left, then back onto its side of the road. It appears to be a serious miracle:

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David Bellow, the person who posted the video of the Tesla avoiding the plane, claims it was Full Self-Driving that performed the maneuver, but it is not confirmed. This is what he said:

There are a few hints that suggest it could be Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite, but it is important to note that neither the company, the driver, nor the friend has confirmed this.

The first hint is the vehicle’s maneuver and subsequent reaction. The car suddenly swerves to the left, which any human would do, but how the vehicle continues to travel as if nothing had happened seems to solidify the idea that FSD could have been involved in avoiding the plane.

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Nevertheless, this does not confirm that FSD was in control.

My Tesla did this on FSD (Supervised) v14.1 and the internet went crazy

Most people would likely have stopped in their tracks after avoiding an aircraft while driving.

However, this is not enough proof to definitively say FSD was responsible for the avoidance.

Additionally, the “Jump to Event” button is activated in the video, suggesting that FSD was in control. The vehicle gives this option when something major has occurred, including human intervention.

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Regardless of whether the car was on FSD or was controlled manually, it is pretty crazy to have this piece of dashcam footage.

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Tesla made Full Self-Driving more seamless with this little-known feature

“Brake Confirm for the Start Self-Driving button is now defaulted off. When disabled, Start Self-Driving will not require you to press and release the brake to confirm engagement.”

Published

1 hour ago

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October 25, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite seems to get better with every single release. However, it is also making it more seamless and easier than ever to use for passenger travel, thanks to a recent feature that has flown under the radar.

Tesla started rolling out its v14 iteration of the Full Self-Driving suite a few weeks ago to Early Access Program (EAP) members, and it finally started making its way to the public for the first time earlier this week.

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.1 first impressions: Robotaxi-like features arrive

The wide rollout of Tesla v14.1.3 was long-awaited, as its capabilities were flexed by the handful of people lucky to have it. However, those sitting with v13.2.9 were still eager to get to their hands on the new FSD version, especially considering it came with a lot of cool upgrades.

One of which is flying under the radar and not getting as much attention as it should. Although it is a minor feature change from v13, Tesla has made FSD more seamless than ever with a simple fix that it started utilizing with v14.

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With v14.1.1, Tesla started rolling out the removal of the “Brake Confirm” feature, which required drivers to touch the brake to activate Full Self-Driving. This is now an optional feature, as it now is defaulted to the off position by the car.

The release notes for the feature state:

“Brake Confirm for the Start Self-Driving button is now defaulted off. When disabled, Start Self-Driving will not require you to press and release the brake to confirm engagement.

You can enable Brake Confirm in Autopilot > Brake Confirm.”

Simply put, you no longer need to touch the brake to confirm your intention to use Full Self-Driving, which is a small but very effective fix.

It makes your car much more active in terms of overall activation, and it is definitely a quicker and more streamlined departure from your current location than ever before.

Here’s a good look at how quick it is:

@teslarati With Tesla Full Self-Driving v14, there is no delay when you start FSD. Press “Start Self-Driving” and you’re on your way #fyp #viral #tesla #teslafsd #fsdv14 ♬ original sound – TESLARATI

The feature is small, but it is very noticeable with your first uses of FSD v14. Eventually, it will become even more streamlined as Tesla solves self-driving and autonomy, as it will require zero human intervention to get started, which means the “Start Self-Driving” button will also be removed.

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