Camouflaged prototype of Emta’s Chery-based kei EV spotted in Wuhu, as the new brand prepares to take on the BYD Racco in Japan from 2027.
We have spotted what appears to be a prototype of the first Emta kei car on the back of a truck in Wuhu, the home city of Chery, which supplies the new Japan-focused brand’s technology.
The vehicle was being transported with camouflage over its front fascia and lower bumper. The rest of the body was uncovered, showing the upright windscreen, flat sides and squared-off profile of the kei-sized box Emta previewed in May, when the brand showed a design resembling a five-door version of the 2021 Chery QQ Ice Cream wearing “#01” on its door.
No badges were visible on the prototype, but its proportions and detailing match that car, and its presence in Wuhu points to Chery’s role in its development.
The Chery-backed play for Japan
Emta sits under Electric Mobility Technologies, a Singapore-registered joint venture announced in May. Chery Automobile and Jiangsu Yueda Group each hold 27.27%, with Japanese parts retail chain Autobacs Seven and battery maker Gotion on 18.18% apiece and quality specialist Anest holding 9.09%. Chery provides the architecture, electric drive and driver assistance but describes itself as a shareholder only, with no role in daily operations, while Yueda’s Yancheng plant will build the cars and Autobacs runs the sales channels in Japan.
The brand’s leadership is pointedly Japan-literate: CEO He Xiaoqing is a former Changan Ford president, chief marketing officer Susumu Uchikoshi came from Nissan China, and product and design are led by a Japanese team with Honda and Mazda backgrounds.
The first model measures around 3.4-metres long and 1.48-metres wide, inside Japan’s kei regulations, and is due to launch there in 2027 as a direct rival to the BYD Racco, which arrives in Japan at around JPY 2.5 million (approx. US$15,700). Emta plans four models by the end of 2029, with a hatchback, an SUV and a minivan to follow, and says a Japanese plant could be considered after 2030.
Kei cars account for roughly a third of Japan’s new vehicle market, a segment no import brand has cracked, and it now has two of China’s biggest exporters aiming at it at once. With Japan Mobility Show press days falling next week, we may not have to wait long to see this car without its disguise.
