Japanese domestic sales of passenger electric vehicles (EVs) fell for the 16th consecutive month in February, primarily due to lower demand for domestic brand EVs. Sales totaled 4,390 units in February, a 20% decrease from a year earlier, according to data from three industry groups: the Automobile Dealers Association, the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association, and the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA). Sales also declined by 3.8% from the previous month.

EVs accounted for 1.2% of the country's total passenger car sales in February, down by 0.7 percentage points from a year earlier. The drop in EV sales is mainly attributed to weaker demand for domestic brand EVs, with sales of Nissan's Sakura, the top-selling EV model, falling by 33% to 1,760 units.

Demand for foreign brand EVs remained strong in February, according to JAIA's representative who spoke to Argus. Sales of foreign brand passenger EVs rose to 1,829 units, an 11% increase from a year earlier, marking the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year growth. Imported EVs accounted for around 42% of Japan's total domestic EV sales, up by 12 percentage points from a year earlier. Chinese manufacturer BYD resumed normal shipments in Japan after a partial delivery suspension in January, according to JAIA.