Chinese EVs are entering Japan one after another, and GAC is also joining in.

China’s state-owned large automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC Group) will officially enter the Japanese market with a lineup of all-electric vehicles (EVs) in the summer of 2026. It will sell through dealers, targeting an order volume of 2,000 units by 2027. After BYD, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which focuses on high-end EVs, has also entered the Japanese market. With the number of EV manufacturers in China increasing rapidly, the industry is in a state of over-competition, and more and more companies are turning their attention to Japan, where EV adoption has lagged, in search of new growth opportunities.

Dealer sales in Japan will be handled by M Mobility Japan, a company based in Nakano, Tokyo. GAC will launch its EV brand “AION (Aeon)” in Japan, planning to achieve 200 orders in 2026 and raise the order volume to 2,000 units in 2027.

Two models will be introduced initially: the compact car “AION UT” and the SUV “AION V.” The starting price of the AION UT is 3.3 million yen (about ¥149,800), and the starting price of the AION V is 5.0 million yen (about RMB 227,000). Both models support Japan-only fast-charging standard “CHAdeMO.” In the initial stage, sales will be limited to corporate customers with business-vehicle needs.

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The Japanese Economic News agency and the Financial Times merged in November 2015 into a single media group. The alliance formed by the two newspaper companies in Japan and the UK—both founded in the 19th century—has been advancing cooperation in broad areas such as joint special reports under the banner of “high-quality, the strongest economic journalism.” In this instance, as part of that effort, an exchange of articles has been made between the Chinese websites of the two newspapers.