Suzuki plans to launch e SKY in Japan for ¥2.12 million — Electrek
Suzuki plans to launch its first electric kei car, the e SKY, on the Japanese market on November 16. The model's starting price will be about ¥2.12 million, or roughly $13,500, Electrek reports, citing Nikkei. This could make the e SKY the most affordable electric vehicle in its class in Japan.
Batteries from BYD
For the e SKY, Suzuki developed a dedicated platform for electric kei cars and an electric powertrain optimized for efficiency. The vehicle will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries supplied by the battery division of China's BYD. Its claimed WLTC range is up to 310 km, while its AC energy consumption rating is 97 Wh per kilometer.
The base version of the BYD Racco 200 is priced from ¥2.145 million. It is equipped with a 22.4 kWh LFP battery and has a WLTC range of 210 km. The more expensive Racco 300 Plus and Racco 300 Premium versions received a 35.84 kWh battery and provide up to 320 km of range.
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Possible government subsidy
The terms of government subsidies for the e SKY have not yet been announced. If the model receives the same ¥568,000 subsidy as the Suzuki e-Every commercial electric kei car, its price could match that of the gasoline-powered Suzuki Spacia. The Spacia, which Suzuki calls its most popular internal-combustion-engine kei car, starts at ¥1.53 million.
According to Electrek, the Suzuki e SKY and BYD Racco will be cheaper and have a longer range than the Nissan Sakura, whose price starts at ¥2.4486 million. BYD plans to sell 10,000 Racco vehicles by the end of 2026; in the first two weeks after the model entered the market, the company received 1,000 orders.
