A Japanese video featuring the president of BYD Japan, Atsuki Tofukuji, exclaiming his wish for a Daihatsu Copen-rivalling kei convertible has emerged, potentially confirming BYD’s ambitions to grow into niche market segments globally.
At the launch of the BYD Racco kei van, which has amassed more than 1000 cumulative orders in its first fortnight on sale, Tofukuji proclaimed: “Building an open sports car like the Copen… as a kei EV, I feel that is perhaps the closest approach to truly recreating the lightweight sports car feel.”
What makes this interesting is the Copen’s expected transition to a front-engine, rear drive platform, as previewed by last year’s K-Open concept, including its minimalist sports car interior. Tofukuji clearly wants something with the same rear-driven pedigree as the Honda S660 and Suzuki Cappuccino.
We have thus envisioned a two-seater, open-top sports car that would utilise the Racco’s platform, albeit with a rear electric motor. The kei car category’s dimensional limits of 3.4 metres long, 1.48 metres wide and two metres tall ensure it would be a lightweight car, which means the Racco’s 22.4-35.84kWh battery packs would more than suffice while keeping it light.
That could also make an electric kei roadster one of the few modern EVs where electrification actually reinforces the traditional sports car formula rather than fighting it. A compact rear motor removes the need for an engine, gearbox and propshaft, potentially freeing designers to concentrate mass within the wheelbase while retaining genuine rear-wheel drive characteristics.
There is, of course, no confirmation that BYD will build one. Tofukuji would still need to persuade BYD headquarters that such a low-volume niche model makes commercial sense. But BYD has already demonstrated an unusual willingness to engineer products specifically for individual markets; the Racco itself was developed around Japan’s kei regulations rather than adapted from an existing global model.
BYD has described Japan as an important market, with the Racco intended to broaden recognition of the brand there.
