Japan’s domestic EV sales drop further in February

Market: Battery materials, Metals
06/03/25

Japanese domestic sales of passenger electric vehicle (EVs) fell on the year for a 16th consecutive month in February, mostly because of lower demand for domestic brand EVs.

Sales totalled 4,390 units in February, fell by 20pc from a year earlier, according to data from three industry groups — the Automobile Dealers Association, the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association and the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA). Sales were also down by 3.8pc on the month.

EVs accounted for 1.2pc of the country's total passenger car sales in February, down by 0.7 percentage points from a year earlier. The fall in EV sales is mostly attributed to weaker demand for domestic brand EVs. Sales of Nissan's Sakura, the country's top selling EV model, fell by 33pc on the year to 1,760 units.

Demand for foreign brand EVs remained firm in February, according to JAIA's representative who spoke to Argus. Sales of foreign brand passenger EVs rose to 1,829 units, up by 11pc from a year earlier, marking the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year growth.

Imported EVs accounted for around 42pc of Japan's total domestic EV sales, up by 12 percentage points from a year earlier. Chinese manufacturer BYD resumed normal shipments in Japan after a partial delivery suspension in January, according to JAIA.

By Yusuke Maekawa

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