The BYD Racco is an electric microcar designed for Japan’s kei car category. The Chinese automaker unveiled it at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo as the first kei car designed by a foreign manufacturer. Production is planned for Changzhou, China.
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Small dimensions for Japanese roads
Kei cars are a Japanese vehicle category subject to strict size limits. The Racco is designed to fit within the category’s maximum length of 3.40 metres and width of 1.48 metres. These are category limits, not the car’s stated exact dimensions.
In practice, that means a vehicle suited to narrow city streets and small parking spaces. The Racco is smaller than other compact electric cars: the BYD Dolphin Surf is 3.99 metres long, while the Fiat 500e is 3.63 metres long and 1.68 metres wide.
Motor and two battery capacities
The Racco is powered by a permanent-magnet synchronous motor producing 47 kW and 160 Nm of torque. It uses a lithium iron phosphate battery, also known as LFP.
There are two battery options:
- 22.4 kWh, with a claimed range of 210 km;
- 35.84 kWh, with a claimed range of 320 km.
The larger battery therefore offers a longer claimed range. However, the test method for these figures has not been stated, so they cannot be directly compared with figures obtained using a different test cycle. Actual range also depends on driving conditions.
Battery as part of the vehicle structure
The battery does more than store energy: it is also a load-bearing part of the vehicle structure and contributes to absorbing impact energy. This approach uses the battery pack as part of the car’s construction. However, the structural description alone is not a substitute for crash-test results.
