Chery is entering Japan through a joint venture called Emta. The first model is a boxy electric kei hatchback due in 2027. A Japanese factory could come after 2030 if sales targets land. Chery’s global appetite shows no sign of slowing, and the Chinese brand has now identified its next target: Japan’s kei car segment. The company is taking part in a newly formed joint venture built around electric vehicles, the most protected corner of one of the world’s most insular markets. The Singapore-based outfit, EMT (Electric Mobility Technology), is a five-way alliance. Chery and fellow Chinese automaker Jiangsu Yueda Automobile Group sit alongside Japanese retailer Autobacs Seven, Chinese battery maker Gotion, and Japanese industrial painting firm Anest Iwata. The venture will trade under the Emta brand, short for Easy, Made To All. More: Chery Borrowed The RS6’s Face, The A5’s Profile, And The A7’s Tail, All On One Sedan According to Car News China, Emta has staffed itself with executives drawn from Honda, Mazda, and Nissan. The CEO is He Xiaoqing, whose track record includes senior posts at Changan Ford, SAIC, and Chery itself. The Emta #01 Leads The Charge The opening act is the Emta #01, a small electric hatchback due in production form in the second half of 2027. The styling is boxy and clean, with covered-grille LED graphics that hint at Suzuki more than at anything Chinese. Rear sliding doors round out the package, simplifying access to a cabin that, by kei standards, needs every millimeter it can find. The Emta #01 measures 3.4 m (133.9 inches) long, putting it in the same footprint as Chinese microcars like the Chery QQ Ice Cream. Full technical specs are still under wraps, but the car will ride on Chery underpinnings, almost certainly with a Gotion battery pack. Expect the latest infotainment and connectivity tech on board, along with Level 2 ADAS. More: BYD’s Tiny EV Has Japan’s Best-Selling Kei Car Rethinking Its Entire Future Production will take place in China, with Autobacs Seven handling sales in Japan. Emta wants the price to land somewhere close to a conventional ICE-powered kei car. When it arrives next year, the Emta #01 will be only the second kei car of Chinese origin, following the BYD Racco. Following the 2027 launch, Emta plans to expand its lineup with three additional EVs by 2029. The official teaser suggests that those will be a small hatchback, a small crossover, and a minivan. The long-term goal is to establish a Japanese factory after 2030 if sales targets are met. EMTA
