Consumers show great willingness to buy electric vehicles in Japan, leading to BMW rolling out a four-door iSports coupe car.
The car is priced between $65,000 and $94,000(7.5 million yen to 10.8 million yen). In a German automaker’s statement this week, the electric vehicle is taking orders for deliveries, and it is expected to start deliveries as soon as in March.
Japan’s new-found interest in EVs
In terms of accepting electric vehicles, Japan has lagged behind Europe, U.S., and China. However, local drivers are now embracing electric cars, which can be seen from the increase in registrations of EVs. Last year saw Registration for imported vehicles was 8,610 units in 2021 compared to 3,238 registrations in 2020 as per the Japan Automobile Importers Association data. This increase was also partly fuelled by a decrease in Tesla Inc.‘s Model 3.
A single battery charge in BMW’s i4 gives up to 590 kilometers or 367 miles, and it also has fast charging capabilities. The car can be unlocked and started by drivers using their smartphone instead of a key. These EV’s also has voice recognition and connectivity features.
The Bz4X model from Toyota Motor Corp, Ioniq5 from Hyundai Motor Co., and Ariya from Nissan Motor Co. are the EVs set for sale this year in Japan and the BMW iSports. In another development, the rise of consumer interest in EV will see Tesla opening its new car showroom in Southern Japan, as reported by the local media.
Hyundai Motor had withdrawn from the Japanese market for more than a decade. Now they are re-entering the market and positioning themselves as Electric vehicle makers selling cars online. The South Korean carmaker is launching a pop-up shop in the Harajuku district from February through May.
