“Tiny cars” which are popular in Japan will be allowed to be built in U.S. factories, Presdient Donald Trump has announced.
“I have just approved TINY CARS to be built in America,” the president wrote on Truth Social Friday, having previously described the vehicles as “very cute.”
“Manufacturers have long wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries. They can be propelled by gasoline, electric, or hybrid. These cars of the very near future are inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient and, quite simply, AMAZING!!! START BUILDING THEM NOW!… ENJOY!!!”
The so-called “Kei trucks” typically measure about 11 feet long, 5 feet wide and 6.5 feet tall, according to Japan’s Interac Network, and now make up about a third of Japan’s car market due to their easily maneuverable size and cheap cost.
In Japan, a new Kei truck can cost the equivalent of between $9,000 and $13,000, while used models can go for the equivalent of $4,000 to $8,000, according to Car-Kei.com. This is compared to an average price tag of around $50,000 for a new vehicle in the U.S.
Additionally, Kei trucks were originally designed to comply with strict Japanese fuel economy standards, and can reportedly run for around 40 to 50 miles per gallon under normal conditions.
Trump’s promotion of the “tiny cars” comes two days after the president, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, announced a significant rollback of federal fuel standards put in place by the Biden administration aimed at encouraging the sale of electric vehicles.
U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards were established by Congress in 1975 to tamp down U.S. reliance on foreign oil, but have since been altered and tightened to encourage manufacturers to make their vehicles more environmentally friendly.
The administration’s plans would make it easier for major U.S. manufacturers to continue selling gas-powered vehicles and disincentivize the production of electric vehicles.
Building Kei trucks in the U.S. would also require alterations to federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Features such as minimum front-end width requirements or the distance across a seat cushion, as well as hood angle and sturdiness of a crumple zone in a crash, means that many of the vehicles would currently not be compliant, according to Road and Track.
“Kei cars can’t be sold in the U.S. because they aren’t designed for this market and don’t meet various safety standards,” a spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety told the outlet.
“Unless they’re granted some sort of exemption, which I’m not sure is possible, there are likely a number of safety standards that would need to be changed to allow current models sold in other parts of the world to be sold here, and I’m not sure how complicated or difficult it would be to roll those back.”
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment on potential changes to federal safety standards to allow Kei trucks to be built.
