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

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I’m what you might call an “elder” millennial. We’re the kids who were born in the early-mid ’80s—not quite old enough to be Gen X, old enough to remember the days of land lines and cassette tapes. And like many of my contemporaries, I grew up riding in the back of a minivan.

Technically, I grew up riding in the back of two minivans. Both were Mopars—a late-’80s Plymouth and a 1994 Dodge—and neither was what you’d call flawless. The Voyager was fine, though it had a four-banger and no air bags, so we didn’t keep it long enough for it to fall apart on us; we upgraded to the Caravan. That one had the Mitsubishi V6, and it was kind enough to wait until it had about 100,000 miles on the odo before it really started falling apart on us. That happened just in time for me to leave for college. Guess what I drove there.

By that point, that Caravan was a hot mess, both literally and figuratively. The AC wouldn’t hold a charge, the engine leaked oil from any number of orifices and the charm of its manual windows and just-adequate V6 had long worn off. But hey, I had a car. And despite its flaws, there’s one thing I can say for that oily clunker: it never tried to hit me in the face.

Yep, that’s right. In the face. As you can see in the above clip, GM’s badge-engineered minivans of the early ’90s included a cool little design element. The trailing edges of the front doors were swept back, like the little winglets on a modern jetliner. It looked neat. It also made the top of the door much longer than the middle, where the handle was. It’s not a particularly aggressive rake, but it’s a difference of a couple of inches. You can see it from multiple angles in this retro review from our pals over at MotorWeek:

1990 Pontiac Trans Sport SE | Retro Review

It became so much of a problem that GM designed a whole new part to address the issue. It’s GM part # 10186057. Go ahead and Google it. Yep, it’s a sticker… with a printed warning that reminds passengers to be careful while shutting the door while exiting, lest they hit themselves in the face with trailing edge of the frame.

I feel compelled to point out that GM’s ad campaign for the Oldsmobile Silhouette included a boast about the company’s industrial design prowess. I believe that’s what you call irony—and I’d know, after all. Half my friends are Gen X. They invented irony; just ask ’em.

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