(Yicai Global) Dec. 6 -- BYD Co. [SHE: 002594; HK:1211], the leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles in China, recently held a delivery ceremony for 10 K9 electric buses it delivered in Okinawa, Japan.

BYD has sold only 15 electric buses in Japan in the past three years, but the archipelago nation is nonetheless a key springboard for the company's entry into international markets.

Japan, the world's major auto exporter country, its top eight brands -- including Toyota, Nissan and Honda -- achieved global production of 27 million vehicles last year, 19 million overseas. Foreign cars in Japan are rare sights, and even US and German car brands find difficulty in infiltrating this market, as online media platform Huxiao reported today.

Against such a backdrop, BYD embarked into the very niche segment of electric buses, and sought thereby to carve out a share of the Japanese market. The country's auto juggernauts have not yet set foot in this area due to its small market size and still-lacking conditions for mass production.

After its first five K9 buses arrived in Kyoto in 2015, BYD has now finally received a further order for 10 buses from Okinawa. These buses will provide ground service for cruise ships docked on the island, transporting 4,000 tourists from its port to sightseeing spots or shopping malls.

Japan will build six new terminals for the 2020 Olympic Games, two of which lie on Okinawa. The country plans to introduce another 70 K9 buses to cope with added passenger demand.

BYD K9 buses have penetrated overseas markets from 2012, and have now entered 200 cities in 50 countries around the world.The expansion of overseas markets often entails starting from a negative position, and when a K9 begins running in a city, this may be deemed a beginning from zero, said Liu Xueliang, general manager of BYD's Asia Pacific sales division.