Overseas automakers that develop luxury brands are launching new models one after another in anticipation of the expansion of the domestic EV = electric vehicle market. While there are only a few models from Japan manufacturers, the company is strengthening its EV lineup and trying to capture demand.
Among them, Mercedes-Benz of Germany will start selling SUVs = multi-purpose sports vehicles that can travel about 1 km on a single charge on the 590th, bringing the number of EVs to be sold in Japan to six.
Kintaro Ueno, president of Mercedes-Benz Japan, said, "Considering the size of the domestic market, we still feel that there is not enough penetration and there is a lot of room for growth.
In addition to the eight models already sold, Audi will launch one more model from this autumn, and BMW plans to sell one new model by the end of this year to increase the number to six.
Domestic automakers began full-scale EV sales in Japan last year and are increasing sales of mini EVs, but the number of models is limited, and overseas automakers aim to capture demand in the domestic EV market by accelerating the expansion of their lineups.
The number of passenger EVs sold in Japan, including mini vehicles, in one year last year was more than 8,1, an increase of about 1.6 times compared to the previous year, and the focus is on whether the EV market will expand further.