3 6 Ke·2026-01-09 05:50Group 1 - In 2025, Japan's imported car sales (excluding domestic manufacturers) increased by 7% year-on-year, reaching 243,129 units, marking the first positive growth in two years [1] - Electric vehicle (EV) sales grew by 26% to 30,513 units, achieving a record high, with Tesla and other EV manufacturers contributing to this increase [1] - EVs accounted for 13% of total sales in 2025, up 2 percentage points from the previous year, indicating a continuous growth trend for EVs in Japan over the past seven years [1] Group 2 - Tesla's sales in Japan, although not officially disclosed, saw an 88% increase in the "other" category, reaching 10,693 units, marking the first time Tesla's sales exceeded 10,000 units in Japan, moving up from 10th to 7th place in brand rankings [1] - BYD's sales in Japan surged by 62% to 3,870 units, driven by the strong performance of the SUV "Hai Lion 7," which was launched in April 2025 [1] - Hyundai's sales increased by 89% to 1,169 units, supported by the strong sales of the small EV "INSTER," which is well-suited for Japan's narrow roads and is competitively priced [3] Group 3 - In terms of brand performance, Mercedes-Benz saw a 4% decrease in sales, dropping to 50,857 units, while BMW's sales grew by 1% to 35,729 units, and Volkswagen's sales increased by 36% to 31,031 units [3] - The overall sales of imported cars in December 2025 showed a slight increase of 0.3% year-on-year, reaching 23,551 units, although EV sales decreased by 14% to 2,549 units during the same period [5] - The Japanese government announced an increase in the subsidy cap for purchasing EVs starting January 1, 2026, which may have temporarily affected consumer purchasing behavior [5]