YOKOHAMA, Sept 1 Reuters China39;s BYD on Friday said it will start selling its second electric vehicle model in Japan this month, as it seeks to secure a foothold in a market that has given rise to some of the world39;s bestselling auto brands.

The automaker in a statement said it will take orders for its Dolphin car from Sept. 20, in what could become a worry for Japanese rivals which are struggling in China against BYD and other domestic manufacturers amid a rapid shift to EVs.

BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, will also announce Dolphin pricing on that date. The model starts from 116,800 yuan 16,092.14 in China.

The Shenzhenbased automaker only plans to sell batterypowered cars in Japan, not vehicles with other powertrain technology in which it is a big player in China39;s market, such as plugin hybrids.

It aims to offer a regular and a longrange version of the Dolphin compatible with Japan39;s CHAdeMO charging standard. It then plans to introduce its Seal model around yearend or early next year.

BYD has not set a sales target for Japan. A spokesperson declined to disclose how many vehicles it needed to sell in Japan each year to be profitable.

Since opening its first Japanese dealership in Yokohama in February, BYD has sold about 700 ATTO 3 electric sports utility vehicles, which sells for 4.4 million yen 30,205.26.

The automaker seeks to open over 100 dealerships by the end of 2025. This year, its Japan unit signed a car dealership contract with…