Kei cars represented nearly 40% of the Japanese market in 2023
- Kei-cars are small light cars (Keijidosha means “light cars”) marketed in Japan, with dimensions and engine capacities required by Japanese legislation. Today, they must not exceed 3.40 m in length, 1.48 m in width and 2.00 m in height and the displacement of their thermal engine must not exceed 660 cm3. These cars are a little shorter than European A-segment cars and a little longer than small Chinese A-segment cars. These cars, which are distinguished by their yellow license plate, benefit from advantages in terms of taxes and insurance prices.
- This category of cars, which has represented nearly 40% of the Japanese passenger car market for around ten years, is mainly represented by the brands Daihatsu (Toyota group) and Suzuki. In 2023, out of 1,587,000 Kei cars sold in Japan, these two brands represented 963,000 units, or 60% of this market in approximately equal shares. Honda represents 20%, Nissan 10% and the Mazda-Mitsubishi-Subaru-Toyota combination 10%.
- Since 2021, some Kei-cars have evolved towards electric engines, undoubtedly due to changes in legislation. 554 battery electric kei cars were sold in 2021, then 27,221 in 2022 and 44,544 in 2023. It is mainly the Nissan Sakura which developed this electric Kei-car market: 21,887 units in 2022 and 37,140 in 2023.
- It is this type of electric car that Renault would like to import into Europe, A-segment cars (closest to Kei cars) tending to disappear from the European market (market share of 5% in 2023 compared to 12.5% in 2009). The Smart Fortwo and Volkswagen Up! no longer being marketed, there are no longer any electric cars less than 3.50 m long marketed on the European market.