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Transportation Japan

Trump Wants Asia's 'Cute' Kei Cars To Be Made and Sold In US (bloomberg.com) 166

sinij shares news of the Trump administration surprising the auto industry by granting approval for "tiny cars" to be built in the United States. Bloomberg reports: President Donald Trump, apparently enamored by the pint-sized Kei cars he saw during his recent trip to Japan, has paved the way for them to be made and sold in the U.S., despite concerns that they're too small and slow to be driven safely on American roads. "They're very small, they're really cute, and I said "How would that do in this country?'" Trump told reporters on Wednesday at the White House, as he outlined plans to relax stringent Biden-era fuel efficiency standards.

"But we're not allowed to make them in this country and I think you're gonna do very well with those cars, so we're gonna approve those cars," he said, adding that he's authorized Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to approve production. [...] In response to Trump's latest order, Duffy said his department has "cleared the deck" for Toyota Motor Corp. and other carmakers to build and sell cars in the U.S. that are "smaller, more fuel-efficient." Trump's seeming embrace of Kei cars is the latest instance of passenger vehicles being used as a geopolitical bargaining chip between the U.S. and Japan.
"This makes a lot of sense in urban settings, especially when electrified," comments sinij. "Hopefully these are restricted from the highway system."

The report notes that these Kei cars generally aren't allowed in the U.S. as new vehicles because they don't meet federal crash-safety and performance standards, and many states restrict or ban them due to concerns that they're too small and slow for American roads. However, they can be imported if they're over 25 years old, but then must abide by state rules that often limit them to low speeds or private property use.

Trump Wants Asia's 'Cute' Kei Cars To Be Made and Sold In US

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  • Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Friday December 05, 2025 @07:06PM (#65838413)

    Duffy said his department has "cleared the deck" for Toyota Motor Corp. and other carmakers to build and sell cars in the U.S. that are "smaller, more fuel-efficient."

    Why would they want more fuel-efficient vehicles to be built? That completely undermines "drill baby drill". It's the same reason he doesn't want electric vehicles built or wind and solar power generation.

    I would say it would be nice if they could get their stories straight, but when you're dealing with someone with dementia, that's not a reality.

    • American car sales must be dropping even in the USA. Better to keep some of the money in the USA to the extent possible than to let it go overseas to foreign car builders. Always follow the money, especially with Trump. This administration is doing everything possible to restrict poor people money from leaving US shores.
    • Absolutely, So crazy how you guys chose the one with broad spectrum cognitive decline in intellectual, psychological, social and ethical domains over the one with cognitive decline in debating skills. Super interesting to watch the results though. Oh some more popcorn is ready.
    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      I would say it would be nice if they could get their stories straight, but when you're dealing with someone with dementia, that's not a reality.

      I think you are confused. The corpse of Biden has shuffled off the stage.

    • Re:Huh? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Hadlock ( 143607 ) on Friday December 05, 2025 @08:05PM (#65838553) Homepage Journal

      Car companies could sell midrange, mid-size cars, toyota sells these in pretty much every country on the planet, but they're nowhere as profitable as selling a $12,000 truck with a lift kit and leather interior for $55,000. Those vehicles exist but they've stopped selling them in the us because theyve found they can just exclusively sell high margin cars instead and maximize shareholder value

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by Powercntrl ( 458442 )

        Plus, I doubt many people here have had the experience of shopping for something like a Mitsubishi Mirage.

        The car was terrible in fit and finish, and barely had enough power to get out of its own way.
        The dealership was sketchy and advertised a bunch of discounts that only existed in their imagination, when all is said and done the bottom line price felt like a crime against nature.
        Unless you had a pile of cash that you're willing to drop on what is objectively a pretty lousy car, you're going to have to fin

        • by shilly ( 142940 )

          I think you’re limited here in that your frame of reference is only what was offered on the US market. Lots of the rest of the world has always had access to fantastic smaller cars, and still does. In the UK, for example, just this last year we’ve had launches of the R5, the Inster, the eC3, the Epiq, with plenty more to come, like the Twingo.

        • and barely had enough power to get out of its own way.

          Why do you need power? How badly designed are your roads that a small 3 cylinder 1000cc engine car can't safely reach highway speeds on the onramp? You want a racing car fine, but don't pretend that power is something anyone actually *needs* to commute to work.

          Also I knew someone with a Mirage back in the day. The fit and finish matched every other car in its price range and was perfectly adequate for the purposes of going from A-B. I recommend not living in it, and maybe not using it to ferry Saudi Princes

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        If people can buy a new car for not much more than a used one, and it's more efficient and comfortable, they just might.

        • If people can buy a new car for not much more than a used one, and it's more efficient and comfortable, they just might.

          Not certain if you are referring to the weird used car craze we had a few years back here in the USA. Covid times. At the time, I had a Jeep Renegade. I was at a dealership known for decent prices. At the time my care was 2 years old. There was an identical Renegade they were selling for something like 3 thousand over what I paid.

          • Think that's still going on. We had to replace our minivan recently, and I got a three year old Odyssey for only slightly less than what it cost new three years ago. And that was very much market price, we couldn't find anything much cheaper. Of course a new Odyssey would have cost 25% more.

            The situation is insane right now though, with a lot of people completely priced out of the market. And then there's people who shouldn't be spending $70K on a pick-up (for example) who are doing so anyway because they t

      • That's not the main reason. Kei cars are meant for specific purposes and destinations. The trucks are meant to be light duty work trucks first and commuting second. The cars are meant for commuting in densely packed urban environments. In Japan and other countries, there are specific regulations for them. Since they were made for specific countries, this is why pass they don't pass safety requirements of US roads.

        Conforming to existing safety regulations would be a challenge, and it would be require Congr

    • Why would they want more fuel-efficient vehicles to be built?

      Follow The Money.

      Dementia is not the problem you think it is.

    • Almost like grandpa has lost his marbles and someone should take his keys.

  • Definitely one headline I was not expecting on my 2025 Political Bingo card.

    • He's trying to solve the affordability crisis he created.
  • by KalvinB ( 205500 ) on Friday December 05, 2025 @07:13PM (#65838433) Homepage

    Wanting a "people's car" was inevitable.

    • Honestly if it gets Americans to stop driving oversized pedestrian murdermachines then it may actually be something positive to come out of his administration. I mean to be clear it won't happen, and even if it did this isn't the intention, but still wouldn't it be nice to imagine a world where America's pedestrian accident rate was *not* increasing?

  • Hey (Score:2, Insightful)

    by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )

    Hey, if they don't have an Internet tether to the mother ship, don't have a big stupid screen that controls everything, and don't cause sticker shock, they will do well. Hopefully the big ass-hat car manufacturers that create overpriced cell phones on wheels garbage will take notice. I won't even consider a new car today with the absolute shit that is being offered, not to mention the price raping.

    • Just because they *can* make a product segment does not mean that they will.

      Besides, if GM got to work today, they might have a viable product in 4 years. And in that time, the already viable products being made by Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, etc. will already be here serving the purpose because they already exist and all they need to do is roll a few thousand of them into a container ship.

      Besides, if your average car buyer in North America wanted smaller, they already would be buying smaller vehicles than

      • And in that time, the already viable products being made by Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, etc. will already be here serving the purpose because they already exist...

        Come on, has the last 12 months not taught you anything? Clearly Trump would add massive tariffs to the import of those vehicles to allow the domestic manufacturers a chance to catch up.

      • Just because they *can* make a product segment does not mean that they will.

        Besides, if GM got to work today, they might have a viable product in 4 years. And in that time, the already viable products being made by Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, etc. will already be here serving the purpose because they already exist and all they need to do is roll a few thousand of them into a container ship.

        Besides, if your average car buyer in North America wanted smaller, they already would be buying smaller vehicles than the giant crossover shitboxes they are buying. It's not like you can't find a Corolla Hatchback if you want to.

        I'm not certain about what you think the average car buyer here is - certainly in my area of PA there aren't a lot of large vehicles - unless you consider a Jeep large. And where I live, 4WD is nice to have around the house. Our weather can be chaotic. There are the occasional Suburbans, but the huge truck craze is largely gone, after they priced themselves out of the market. You have to be pretty wealthy to buy one of those 100K trucks.

        But a city car, the tiny things, they really aren't all that practic

    • Spoiler alert: There never was any law saying you couldn't build small cars here in the USA.

      They don't sell well here in the US because people with poor credit and/or limited budgets tend to buy used vehicles rather than stripped-down new models.

      • by skam240 ( 789197 )

        It's also a cultural thing as in my experience, there are quite a few Americans who look down on small car drivers. I feel certain at least part of that is people associating small cars with being low income. Another part likely comes from whatever is motivating so many Americans to buy ridiculously oversized vehicles most have no legitimate need for.

        It's all ridiculous of course but we're a very car centric culture.

      • Spoiler alert: There never was any law saying you couldn't build small cars here in the USA.

        Not explicitly, but crash survivability regulations make Kei cars illegal in the USA.

        Unless Trump pulls the US out of the treaty that he signed (USMCA), any small cars will be built in Mexico. If Trump pulls the US out of that treaty, many other prices will go up.

        But this is really just another brain fart from Trump. It won't happen.

  • If you live in a rage city and don't need to get to highway speeds, then such car would make a lot of sense, especially as an EV. Where I live there are already some people that drive uninsured and unlicensed EVs, I think they get them as electric wheelchairs, but they are essentially cars with a roof, doors, 4 wheels, and a steering wheel.
    • Here in Florida, there's a retirement community called "The Villages". It has on occasion made national news for various old people antics (plus, it's Florida, so...) and you may have already heard of it.

      Small golf carts and golf cart-like vehicles are extremely popular there. They work because the community was designed with dedicated cart paths and the people who have retired there tend to be fine with vehicles that cost less to maintain. Florida also allows UTVs and golf carts to be modified and regis [flhsmv.gov]

    • European here.

      I'm fascinated with the number of posts in this thread saying something along the line of "these cars' engines are too weak to get to highway speeds"

      Coming from anyone in the US where the highways speed limit is notoriously low, I find it pretty laughable. I drive a 20 year old Yaris Verso (Funcargo in Japan) by choice - it's the b st car built in the last 40-50 years and it took me a year to find my latest one. In any case, it's got a 1.3l engine - tiny, by US standards - and I find I must

      • I think youâ€(TM)re a bit confused. Part of the issue Americans bring it up is because they want acceleration demons. Most cars can actually get to highway speeds but they canâ€(TM)t do it in 4 seconds.

        In fact, in the U.S. the 0-60 time is a huge marketable property of vehicles, or it was anyway. I donâ€(TM)t watch tv anymore to get ads. That is what sold early Teslas here was showing it could do 0-60 in 3 seconds.

        It was at least one of the few highly
        • by trenien ( 974611 )
          I wasn't aware of the acceleration capability as a selling point. Over here, some people pay attention to it but they're quite clearly a tiny minority. I don't think I've ever seen any commercial talking about it.

          Oh boy, does it show the influence of advertising...

  • Look everyone! Thanksgiving dinner is cheaper than last year! And we can all pile into the new car and almost pass pedestrians!
  • I love these cars, MAJA!!
  • by Ogive17 ( 691899 ) on Friday December 05, 2025 @07:56PM (#65838539)
    I would love to have a kei car - just got back from spending a few weeks in Japan visiting family. Kei cars are highly efficient, packing tremendous interior space/utility in a small footprint. The issue is most people almost never go above 50mph in one because there is no need.

    Personally - I'd love to have a Honda N-One E but I'd never drive that on a highway. It would be a good local commuter vehicle.
    • Some of the local orchards use them along with the usual ATV four-wheeler vehicles. They on the road as well, but the speed limit is only 50 MPH anyway. Off the highways they do fine. They carry two people and a decent collection of tools just fine.

  • Kei cars are amazing for non hwy driving and great in the city. They're great on has and small and easy to park. If they had tax breaks and lower tax and insurance, people would buy them. Canada's car industry is dead on the vines and this would be a cheap way to revitalize the sector.
  • "It's all computer!"

  • We haven't had a descent small pickup in the US since Toyota redesigned their pickups for 1996. The Toyota pickups 1984-1995 were the best.

    I want to see these for sale in the US.
    https://www.carscoops.com/2023... [carscoops.com]
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

  • Why does Slashdot post pages that are paywalled? Not even a executive summary?
  • I got to drive one of these in Japan earlier this year in a controlled environment (no international license)... it had some really nice tech that I wish my car would have in the US, fantastic fuel efficiency, decently comfortable, and under 10kUSD.

    But I absolutely would NOT want to drive it in the US. Based on my experience when I was being driven around, the highways in Japan move at like 50MPH. I wouldn't want to be in a collision with another vehicle of the same class at those speeds in a vehicle like t

  • Yet motorcycles have not been banned and the acceleration for a brand new rider is crazy. Yet a teeny car they want banned. where is the logic? And in Japan they have accident statistics over 40 years that prove them to be just as safe as other vehicles. There should be no problem for local driving. but not on highways where people do over 60. An electric merge engine might correct rude American drivers set on preventing orderly merges.
  • A kei car can go anywhere from around 60 to 85 mph, though it is most comfortable and recommended to drive them at 50–60 mph. While they can reach higher speeds, it puts significant stress on the engine and is not ideal for sustained driving. The main drawbacks of owning a kei car are safety concerns due to their small size, performance limitations like a lack of power, and difficulties with maintenance, parts sourcing, and registration, especially in countries like the United States. They are often
  • US entry-level car prices have become ridiculous since COVID when the manufacturers have found they can make more money by selling fewer cars at higher prices.

    If Trump actually wants to help Americans, then how about allowing Chinese EVs to be sold here, and without tariffs. Some start below $5,000, and for $20,000 you can get something really nice.

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