Much has been said about Chinese EV maker BYD, especially about how it is poised to officially overtake American EV brand Tesla in the number of electric vehicles sold by the end of this year. 

Along with its aggressive global expansion efforts, BYD also made sure it "invaded" the Land of the Rising Sun in grand fashion as it set up the only China-brand pavilion at the recently concluded Japan Mobility Show 2023.

Liu Xueliang, general manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, must have surprised the local and international motoring press when he delivered his speech in fluent Japanese. The BYD executive, who we had the opportunity to have a press interview at Shenzen in October, thanked the public for welcoming BYD to Japan since it launched there in 2022.

He then extolled BYD's corporate philosophy of Technology and Innovation as the core pillars of the company that it is today. With 600,000 employees and operating in 40 locations around the world, BYD has truly become a world leader in Battery Electric Vehicle sales.

Liu also highlighted BYD's battery company history, which enables it to manufacture its own EV batteries, motors, and controllers in-house. 

"Today, we will begin a new future with electric vehicles in Japan," said Liu in his speech. And just like that, the Chinese carmaker bravely unveiled its full-EV lineup amidst the mix of ICE and electrified offerings from the other Japanese brands in attendance. 

When in Rome...

What stole the show for BYD, however, was the presence of Japanese racing and drifting sensation Keiichi Tsuchiya at the BYD show. 

Tsuchiya was also at the Zhuhai International Circuit during our visit to China last October for a BYD promotion. It would seem the Chinese company acquired his services to promote the all-electric Seal as he did driving exhibitions with the sports sedan in front of assembled media last month. 

Full-force

We saw a wide mix of vehicles at the BYD booth, ranging from the BYD Dolphin to the ATTO3 crossover. The BYD Seal took center stage on the press day as it was unveiled to the press. 

The Denza D9 EV minivan and the Yangwang U8 EV SUV also had prime locations at the booth on the second day onwards.

What is interesting to note is the curiosity of the Japanese public towards the models on display. BYD Japan likewise pulled all the stops to have promo girls attend to the press and give away merchandising items and brand brochures. 

On the second press day of JMS 2023, we already noticed quite a number of locals inspecting the BYD Seal and the BYD Dolphin as well. Some of them even knelt down to see the fit and finish of the cars on display.

The BYD Pavillion was also one of the few displays that actually had a lounge area for visitors, something I took full advantage of after a day's worth of walking through two large exhibit halls. 

Suffice it to say, BYD Japan looks really serious in taking the EV fight to the heartland. Perhaps this could be a wake-up call to Japanese manufacturers to start seriously considering a BEV future.