Japan’s little kei trucks have a new fan: President Donald Trump.
Trump expressed admiration for the pint-sized auto during a briefing with reporters to announce his plan to lower fuel economy standards. “They’re very small. They’re really cute,” Trump said. “And I said, how does that happen in this country? And everyone thinks, well, but you’re not allowed to make them.”
Kei vehicles, which are built to meet Japan’s light vehicle regulations, are enjoying growing popularity in the automotive market, including here in the US. Sales of kei trucks have tripled over the past five years, with a total of about 7,500 trucks imported last year, according to Japan Used Motor Vehicle data cited by CNN.
“They’re so little. They’re really cute.”
Comparing them to the Volkswagen Beetle, Trump said he was authorizing the U.S. Department of Transportation to “immediately approve the production of those cars.”
“He directed me to clarify the rules on this that we have in place,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the briefing. “And so if Toyota or any other company wants to make smaller, more economical, fuel-efficient cars, we’ve cleared the decks so they can make them in America and sell them in America.”
A USDOT spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about what specific authority Trump had given Duffy.
In fact, regulation regarding the legality of KE vehicles in the US is irregular. Federal regulations allow the importation of mini trucks as long as they are 25 years old or older, while state laws are less clear regarding their on-road legality and registration. Vehicles must also comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards, which dictate everything from steering wheel placement to vehicle weight.
That said, many states have rules allowing low-speed vehicles like golf carts, so it’s conceivable that kei trucks could slip under those provisions.
However, whether they will sell or not is another question. Kei vehicles, short for “keitora”, meaning “light truck”, have strict guidelines regarding engine, size, and power limits. And while they certainly have a following in the US, they’re probably too small for most American buyers.
Of course, the purpose of the briefing was to announce the withdrawal of strict fuel efficiency rules imposed by the Biden administration. Trump said the goal was to make cars more affordable, but most experts estimated that any savings from lower-priced vehicles would be offset by higher fuel costs over time.
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