BYD SEAL is Japan's favourite EV of 2024

The BYD Seal has won the title of “Japan EV of the Year 2024”, making it the second consecutive year that BYD has taken home this award. The BYD Dolphin claimed the honour in 2023 along with the BYD Atto 3 finishing third in last year's rankings.

Fifteen electric vehicles released in Japan between November 2023 and October 2024 were eligible for the award. To identify “attractive electric vehicles that society desires,” the voting process included both public votes from readers and votes from writers at the EVsmart blog, totalling 348 valid votes.

The BYD Seal topped the results with 195 points. The Honda N-VAN e:, a small Kei EV, finished second with 182 points, while the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N came third with 176 points.

The Tesla Model 3 Performance finished in fourth place with 157 points, just 19 points behind the IONIQ 5 N and 38 points behind the Seal.

When asked about why they voted for the Seal, voters highlighted its unique design, long range, and impressive performance (particularly the AWD model). They also praised the Seal for offering excellent value for money, delivering a premium driving experience with great EV performance.

Other electric vehicles that received votes included the Mitsubishi Minicab EV, Volvo EX30, Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology, Mini Cooper E/SE, Nissan Ariya Nismo, Fiat 600e, Jeep Avenger, Lexus RZ300e, BMW iX1, Audi SQ8 Sportback e-tron, and Lotus Emeya.

The Japan EV of the Year awards were launched in 2022 by Enechange and the EVsmart blog to recognise exceptional vehicles and promote EV adoption in Japan. The first award in 2022 went to the Nissan Sakura, followed by the BYD Dolphin in 2023, and now the BYD Seal in 2024.