We dig into the IEA’s latest Global EV Outlook which says ICE vehicles peaked in 2017, BYD’s move to build its own export armada, and why legacy car makers are being dragged into a price war they may not be built to win.

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Chinese car giant BYD surprised many last year with details of a small hatchback model that was spotted testing in China and was destined to compete in Japan’s unique Kei car market. It was later  unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show as the 2026 BYD Racco, which translates from Japanese to BYD “Sea Otter”.

Now, more details have come to light about the 20-kWh battery-pack-equipped Racco, which Best Car Channel Japan shared on YouTube and reshared by Sakura Yae on X.

In a new video of the almost 3.4 metre long city car from Japan, details around the sliding door, the rear folding and sliding seats as well as the car packing an umbrella in the rear were shared.

The rear doors of the car slide along the length of the car, making it easier for passengers to get in and out. That’s electrically operated as well, and is usually a feature seen in more premium peoplemovers/MPV.

In the rear, there is also adjustable seating, which allows for more cargo space in the boot or more legroom for passengers.

These seats can also be folded and stacked, allowing the Racco to be more flexible in the back for those moving or transporting items.

BYD has also made it easier for families to include an umbrella holder in the rear, with the umbrella coming in as standard. This is also something found in more premium models, priced much higher than what the Racco is expected to be priced at.

This model is designed specifically for the Japanese market, where competition in this popular segment is quite high. BYD is really amping up the focus on this smaller EV for the Japanese market to begin with, but derivatives of this could make it to other markets globally down the track.

On BYD Racco’s Japan website, the company shares what this model could bring to families wanting a cleaner electric commuting car: “Daily shopping, commuting, picking up and dropping off children, and even on holidays. Cleaner. Smarter. More environmentally friendly. The future isn’t just about big cars. A small EV revolution begins.”

The design aspects of the car are also shared: “Our goal was to “provide the best minicar in the EV category to everyone.” To achieve this, the first thing we did was to develop an EV-exclusive Super Tall x Sliding Door package.”

The ease of getting in and out is important for smaller Kei cars, so the sliding door will be a unique addition that may encourage buyers in that segment to test-drive the Racco.

Last month, at a car show in Tokyo, BYD revealed that the Racco will come equipped with two battery packs. The smaller 20 kWh pack delivers around 200 km of range, and the larger 30 kWh pack delivers around 300 km of range.

That’s plenty of range for most city drives, and the car is expected to have both AC and DC charging capabilities for top-ups. 

Earlier reports hinted at DC charging speeds of up to 100 kW on these small battery packs, but that is likely to be confirmed when full specs are released in the coming months.

Given that many of the Kei car models in Japan are powered by an engine with up to 660 cc of capacity, an electric offering by BYD could really help put BYD on Japanese consumers’ shortlist in the years to come, as the brand looks at big expansion plans in what appears to be one of the toughest markets globally for foreign brands.

Detailed specifications and pricing will be announced in the coming months, marking BYD’s first major step toward models designed and engineered for specific global markets.

BYD Racco EV Static Review on Best Car Channel YouTube

BYD’s premium brand Denza has unveiled the Z9 GT, claiming more than 1,000 km of range on China’s CLTC test cycle –  a new benchmark for production electric cars.

In a post on Weibo, the company shared an image with the caption: “Denza Z9 GT: The All-New Denza Z9 GT – The world’s longest-range pure electric model.”

Crossing the 1,000 km mark is symbolically significant and, while based on China’s more generous CLTC test cycle, would likely translate to well over 800 km on the WLTP standard.

Reports from China last month revealed key specs for the new Denza Z9 GT model, as part of the approval documents submitted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

This upcoming Z9 model will come with two new batteries, using BYD’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) blade batteries with capacities of 102 kWh and 122 kWh.

The larger 122 kWh pack delivers up to 1,036 km on CLTC, while the tri-motor version drops slightly to 1,002 km

due to added power.

Specs also showed that the model will be available in both single and tri-motor versions. The single-motor version will come with a 370 kW rear-wheel-drive configuration, while the tri-motor version will have a combined power output of 850 kW.

New wheel designs are aimed at reducing cabin noise, while an integrated roof-mounted lidar forms part of Denza’s “God’s Eye” advanced driver assistance system.

Having driven the current-generation Z9 GT in Shenzhen last year, I found it more comfort-focused than outright sporty, positioning it as a long-distance tourer rather than a track weapon.

The performance figures for touring and daily driving in the Z9 GT are still well above pretty much anything else available in the Australian market.

With Denza’s D9 already approved for sale in Australia, the Z9 GT could follow if the premium brand expands its local lineup.

With rapid battery development, 1,000 kW charging claims and now four-digit range figures, BYD is accelerating its technological push and reshaping expectations around what mainstream EVs can deliver.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen dozens of new EV models as the market has grown, but serious off-road 4WDs have remained stubbornly diesel-dominated.

That’s about to change, and we have a chance to spend some time with the first two models. Enter Denza B5 – both are a BYD brand, which of course delivered the very popular BYD Shark 6 last year, selling over 18,000 in 2025. While not a full EV, the B5 represents one of the most serious electrified alternatives yet to diesel 4WDs.

This plug-in hybrid is geared towards adventuring families and comes packed with 3 tonnes of towing, going straight after the very popular Diesel Toyota Prado.

Looks-wise, it looks like many other premium off-roaders, but the 2026 Denza B5 is different. I recently drove it from Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges. 

This wasn’t a normal run around the city where many Diesel off-roaders spend most of their time. It was a 500-kilometre trek into the heart of the Australian Outback, taking on some serious on and off-roading adventures over two days.

Starting with the price, which is the big surprise. It starts at $74,990 plus on-roads. That puts it right against the base Toyota Prado. 

Having said that, the Denza B5 offers twice the power and much more tech that’s generations ahead. It feels like a bargain compared to European luxury rivals.

The B5 is a plug-in hybrid with a twist. Similar to the BYD Shark 6, it uses BYD’s Dual Mode Off-road (DM-O) platform.

Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre turbo engine. It works with two powerful electric motors. Together, they produce 425 kW and 760 Nm.

On the highway out of Adelaide, it felt very zippy off the line, closer to a sports car. It was similar to what I got when I tested the Shark 6 in Marysville, Victoria, in 2024. A ute wasn’t supposed to be this quick but it was.

Similarly, the Denza B5 hits 100 km/h from a standstill in just 4.8 seconds. That is quite a thing to experience for a three-tonne SUV, it certainly gives Prado buyers something new to consider.

The transition between petrol and electric is seamless. You get 90 km of pure EV range for the city from a 31.8 kWh BYD Blade Battery pack.

It also supports 10-80% DC charging times of around 20 minutes, with charging speeds up to 100 kW.

On the road, the total range can be up to 1,000 km for those travelling occasional long distances, like the drive up to Wilpena Pound.

Speaking of the drive up the state, it was quite an experience. On the inside, the B5 packs quite a bit of luxury. Even as the heat outside was getting up as we approached the middle of the day into the afternoon, the Nappa leather seats were ventilated, and the aircon worked like it was built for the Outback. 

On top of that, there is even a built-in fridge in the console. It kept my drinks ice-cold during the trip up, and I didn’t even need to think about setting it every time I got back into the car. That’s something most variants of the Prado just don’t have. 

The B5’s massage seats also give it a much more premium feel, and of course, like most premium BYD and Denza products, there is a large 15.6-inch screen, which I must say has the best in-car software of any 4WD I’ve ever been in. 

Along with that, there is a 16-speaker Devialet sound system, which I felt was not too bad for most music, although bass-loaded and punchy beats felt a bit muffled in the short time I spent with it, that’s of course comparing it to sound systems found in Tesla, Volvo and others with Premium audio on the market.

While on the road, the head-up display worked really well and with navigation on, it projected the directions clearly, even against the much brighter sun past the town of Hawker, nearly 400 km north of Adelaide. 

Looking at the space in the B5, it’s more than enough on both rows, and after spending a bit of time on the back too, on some long stretches up to the Flinders Ranges, it was very comfortable, especially thanks to the flat floor, which makes the back seat feel like a lounge.

The following day, we hit the off-road tracks near Wilpena Pound. The B5 and the engineering behind it felt like that’s what it was made for. It didn’t feel like a soft-roader but more of a body-on-frame vehicle, designed for these rugged tracks. 

Unlike the BYD Shark 6, the Denza now packs front and rear diff locks. It even has a tank turn function for tight trails.

Another big seller for the B5 is the very unique DiSus-P hydraulic suspension that you get on the Leopard variant, with pricing starting at $79,990 before on-roads. 

On the rocky climbs of the Flinders, I raised the ride height to 310 mm, which absorbed the corrugated tracks without any dramas. 

The steepness of most terrain didn’t pose much of an issue, thanks to this suspension and the approach angle of 39 degrees with suspension raised. 

On the descent, it was very similar to the departure angle of 35 degrees, combined with the 360-degree view you get on the screen, even an amateur off-roader like myself could get through the tracks, knowing the tech inside would help if we ran into trouble.

The 790 mm wading depth gave me confidence that even on terrain with creek crossings, it’d drive through . It lacks the legendary feel of a LandCruiser, but the tech makes off-roading accessible.

Having said all that, no car is perfect. The B5 is quite heavy, and you feel that weight in high-speed corners. The steering is a bit light for my liking, too, but then again, the steering could likely be stiffened. Where the B5 still has something to prove is long-term durability. Buyers cross-shopping a Prado or LandCruiser are often thinking in decades, not just features. Denza will need to demonstrate reliability in harsh Australian conditions over time

Towing capacity is rated at 3 tonnes, slightly below the Prado’s 3.5-tonne figure. For buyers regularly hauling large caravans or heavy trailers, that difference may matter, though for most use cases it’s unlikely to be a limiting factor.

The 2026 Denza B5 proved itself in the dirt, and it handled the adventure up to the Flinders without a single rattle. It is quiet, powerful, and very capable on and off-road.

Serious electrified off-roaders have been a long time coming. The B5 isn’t a gimmick or a novelty, it’s a genuinely capable alternative in a segment that has barely moved beyond diesel.

It is an extremely capable alternative for Australian drivers hitting the suburbs and the bush. For buyers wanting luxury and electrification without diesel, it makes a compelling case.

BYD is planning to refresh its luxury Yangwang U7 sedan, which comes in fully-electric and PHEV variants. Regulatory filings reveal the updated BEV version sports a massive 150 kWh LFP battery and 17.7 kWh per 62 miles consumption.

The Yangwang U7 EV model year 2026 will be offered in two powertrain versions – 1,287 hp and 1,341 hp, both of which will adopt the 150-kWh LFP battery. That’s a significant upgrade over the previous 135 kWh battery.

According to CLTC, the top-tier variant’s range on a single charge is 534 miles, while the regular 1,287-hp iteration can run 625 miles before requiring a recharge. The documents also reveal an impressive 17.7 kWh per 100 km consumption, a 10% improvement over the previous Yangwang U7 generation with the 135 kWh pack. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that the newer version is 220 lb heavier.

The car is expected to hit the market very soon, likely in the next few months.

Via