Hyundai Motor has unveiled its plans to introduce the affordable Inster compact electric vehicle (EV) in Japan, priced at 2.85 million yen ($18,000). This marks the cheapest electric vehicle in Japan’s compact car market and is part of Hyundai’s strategy to penetrate a market long dominated by local giants like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, who have well-established petrol and hybrid vehicle technologies.
The Inster, which debuted in Europe last year and was originally launched in South Korea as the Casper Electric, aims to appeal to Japanese consumers by offering an EV at a lower price point than competitors. For instance, BYD’s Dolphin, launched in 2023, is priced at 3.63 million yen, making Hyundai’s new model a more cost-effective alternative. Deliveries of the Inster in Japan are set to begin in May, as announced by Hyundai Mobility Japan CEO Toshiyuki Shimegi during the Tokyo Auto Salon.
The Japanese EV market has been slow to adopt electric vehicles, with the Nissan Sakura, the most popular EV in Japan, priced at 2.60 million yen, seeing a 40% sales drop last year, with fewer than 23,000 units sold. Despite this, Japan’s passenger car market remains sizable, with approximately 4 million vehicles sold annually.
Hyundai, which has set a goal to increase its sales in Japan by tenfold over the next five years, has faced stiff competition in the market. In 2024, Hyundai sold only 607 vehicles in Japan, while BYD sold 2,223 units. Hyundai’s return to Japan’s passenger car market in 2022, focusing exclusively on electric and fuel-cell vehicles, follows its exit in 2009 due to low sales. The Inster is expected to play a pivotal role in helping Hyundai gain recognition and grow its presence in the Japanese market, a sector largely dominated by Toyota and other local manufacturers.
