BMW brings new EV to Japan as country warms up to electric cars

[TOKYO] BMW is rolling out its 4-door i4 sports coupe in Japan, where consumers are showing signs of greater willingness to buy electric vehicles (EV).

Priced at 7.5 million yen (S$87,000) to 10.8 million yen, the EV is currently available for orders with deliveries starting as soon as March, the German carmaker said in a statement this week. While Japan has lagged behind the US, Europe and China on the uptake of EVs, there are signs that local drivers are starting to embrace electrified cars.

Registrations for imported EVs totalled 8,610 units last year, up from 3,238 in 2020, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association, fuelled in part by a price cut for Tesla's Model 3.

BMW's i4 has a range of as much as 590 kilometres on a single charge, and features fast-charging capabilities. Drivers can use a smartphone instead of a key to unlock and start the car, which also has connectivity and voice-recognition features.

Toyota Motor Corp's bZ4X, Nissan Motor Co's Ariya and Hyundai Motor Co's Ioniq 5 are all set to go on sale in Japan this year as well. In another sign of rising EV uptake, Tesla will open a new showroom in southern Japan, local media reported.

Hyundai, which withdrew from the Japanese market more than a decade ago, is returning by positioning itself as an EV maker by selling cars online. The South Korean automaker is opening a pop-up shop in the Harajuku district from this weekend through the end of May. BLOOMBERG