Electric vehiclesOperator EMT envisions price similar to gasoline-powered 'kei' carsChery Automobile debuts a kei EV next year while BYD releases its Racco kei car this summer. (Source photos by EMT and Nikkei)RISAKO KOJIMA and ITSUKI MIYAKEMay 28, 2026 01:30 JSTTOKYO -- China's Chery Automobile looks to offer an all-electric kei minicar in Japan next spring, joining a market made increasingly competitive by Japanese rivals and Chinese EV leader BYD.Read NextBusiness AsiaJapan's auto industry plots new road map to counter BYD threatAutomobilesJapan's once-affordable used cars threatened by soaring prices, weak yenElectric vehiclesFerrari's new Luce faces luxury EV testElectric vehiclesJapan to start EV battery traceability program to spur recyclingAutomobilesFrom BYD to Xpeng, memory chip crunch squeezes China's automakersAutomobilesChinese EV makers awaken Western rivals' zombie production linesElectric vehiclesBYD faces tough market in Japan as rivals win bigger EV subsidiesElectric vehiclesBYD to rev up Japan sales with EV mini-dealershipsLatest on Electric vehiclesElectric vehiclesFerrari's new Luce faces luxury EV testElectric vehiclesJapan's Nabtesco to mass-produce all-electric power steering for EV busesElectric vehiclesVinFast founder's son takes over as EV maker recalibrates global expansion