Group 1 - AEON, a Japanese retail group, plans to establish a sales partnership with BYD by 2025, setting up sales points for BYD electric vehicles in approximately 30 commercial facilities and department stores across Japan [1] - AEON will implement pricing strategies, including discounts and promotional incentives, allowing consumers to purchase BYD electric vehicles starting at around 2 million yen (approximately 94,000 RMB) [1] - AEON aims to achieve independent import and sales of BYD electric vehicles in the future, currently managing 164 shopping centers in Japan [1] Group 2 - The collaboration between BYD and AEON may disrupt the traditional Japanese automotive distribution market, which has been dominated by local manufacturers and dealerships [2] - AEON operates around 2,500 electric vehicle charging stations across its 374 stores in Japan, potentially addressing infrastructure limitations for electric vehicles [2] - In the first half of the 2025 fiscal year, Japanese domestic sales of pure electric passenger vehicles were approximately 28,500 units, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 3%, but still representing only about 1% of total new car sales [2] Group 3 - In September, BYD achieved a record sales figure in Japan, selling 802 units, which is a year-on-year increase of approximately three times, capturing about 20% of the country's imported pure electric vehicle market [3] - BYD plans to launch a new pure electric light vehicle specifically designed for the Japanese market in 2026 [3] - Despite BYD's growth, Japanese domestic electric vehicles, such as Nissan's Sakura and Leaf, continue to lead in sales within the electric vehicle market [3]