General Motors, Ford and Hyundai have all retreated from Japan at one point or another after struggling to persuade car buyers to switch over from the country¡¯s carmakers. BYD is betting that it can be the first to break that pattern.

The world¡¯s largest maker of electric vehicles recently unveiled the Racco, a ¡±kei car¡± minivehicle designed specifically for Âé¶¹´«Ã½ narrow roads. It attracted more than 1,000 orders in the first few weeks, according to BYD.

What sets the Racco apart from the company¡¯s five other models in Japan is that it represents something other auto titans never dared to do: target the kei car category, the most popular and uniquely Japanese segment of the market.