BYD reveals the interior of the new Racco electric kei car

The tiny car market in Japan is about to get a big shake-up courtesy of BYD. The company shared the first look at the inside of its newest model, the BYD Racco. This vehicle is part of the “kei car” category in Japan. These are very small vehicles built to fit into tight city streets and save owners money on taxes. Japanese brands have ruled this segment for decades, but BYD is about to challenge them with its own take on this very popular category.

The Racco is a boxy, tall vehicle designed specifically for urban life. It measures 133.7 inches long, 58.1 inches wide, and 70.9 inches tall. Because it is so narrow and tall, it can squeeze into parking spots that would make a standard sedan look like a giant. Despite its small footprint, the upright shape helps the cabin feel much larger than it actually is.

The interior design of the smallest BYD focuses on being useful rather than fancy. The front of the cabin features a center console built into the dashboard where the gear lever sits. This layout creates more floor space, making it easier for people to move around. The front seats are placed very close to each other, which is common in this class of vehicles. To add a bit of comfort, the car has a small armrest for the driver and passenger to share.

Technology is a big part of the new Racco. A floating touchscreen sits in the middle of the dashboard, paired with a digital screen behind the steering wheel for the driver. Many modern cars put everything on a screen, but the Racco keeps things simple with physical buttons for the air conditioning. This makes it easier to change the temperature without taking your eyes off the road. The interior also has modern charging options, including a 12V outlet, a standard USB port, and a Type-C port.

Storage space is often a problem in tiny cars, but BYD tried to find every extra inch. There is a storage area on top of the dashboard, a glovebox, and even a secret spot in the center tunnel between the seats. The large, upright windshield provides an excellent view of the road, which should make driving through crowded neighborhoods a bit easier. The steering wheel has three spokes and includes buttons to control the music and other features.

The seats are covered in white synthetic leather, giving the cabin a clean look. For the cold winter mornings, the front seats are heated, and there is even a holder for sunglasses on the driver’s side. We know from earlier teasers that there are two seats in the rear with adjustable headrests. Getting in and out of the Racco is easy because of the rear sliding doors on both sides - a great feature for tight parking lots where there isn’t enough room to swing a normal door open.

The car uses a battery made by BYD’s battery division FinDreams. The small pack gives the car a range of 112 miles on a full charge. That might not seem like much for a road trip, but it is plenty for someone living in a city like Tokyo. The single electric motor sits on the front axle and has 20 kW of power, which is about 27 horsepower. When the battery gets low, the car supports fast charging at up to 100 kW.

Japan loves its kei cars. Last year, drivers there bought over 1.6 million of them. The Honda N-Box is currently the king of the mountain, but it runs on gasoline. BYD is betting that people are ready to switch to electric cars if the price is right. The Racco is expected to cost around 2.5 million yen ($16,340) when it goes on sale this summer.

Via