Trump desires the U.S. to construct tiny vehicles. Will they take off? : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5765x3843+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffe%2F52%2F72acc4d14caa806167de75a895fd%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-1460.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5765x3843+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffe%2F52%2F72acc4d14caa806167de75a895fd%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-1460.jpg" class="img" alt="A small, gray, four-door Honda Life kei car zips by on a road." fetchpriority="high"/> A driver takes a Honda Life on a experience throughout a gathering of the Capital Kei Automobile Membership in Clifton, Virginia. Kei vehicles are ultracompact Japanese autos outlined by strict measurement and engine limits. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR cover caption

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Michael Noble Jr. for NPR Sitting within the Oval Workplace this month, President Trump went on considered one of his trademark riffs, an apart about autos which are widespread in Asia however inconceivable to purchase new in the US.

"They've a really small automobile. It is form of just like the Beetle was with the Volkswagen," he mentioned. "They're very small. They're actually cute."

In Japan, these autos are often called kei vehicles. They're, certainly, very small. They're, indisputably, very cute.

"However you are not allowed to construct them" within the U.S., Trump went on. "I've approved the secretary [of transportation] to right away approve the manufacturing of these vehicles."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6304x4203+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F55%2F9c%2F2b2eba474f05b011824204e8d39f%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-111.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6304x4203+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F55%2F9c%2F2b2eba474f05b011824204e8d39f%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-111.jpg" class="img" alt="This photo shows a black T-shirt that features rows of kei cars, pickups and vans." loading="lazy"/> A shirt that includes quite a lot of kei vehicles was on show throughout a gathering of the Capital Kei Automobile Membership. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR cover caption

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Michael Noble Jr. for NPR <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3674x3674+1123+0/resize/100/quality/100/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F02%2F41%2F41e21b9a4746b037eb9bea98f959%2Fgettyimages-2249777843.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3674x3674+1123+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F02%2F41%2F41e21b9a4746b037eb9bea98f959%2Fgettyimages-2249777843.jpg" data-format="jpeg" class="img lazyOnLoad" alt="Motorists drive on Interstate 210 during the morning commute on December 03, 2025 in Pasadena, Calif. President Trump announced new fuel economy standards today which will roll back fuel efficiency standards put in place by former President Joe Biden." loading="lazy"/>

That information got here in the midst of a press convention in regards to the Trump administration enjoyable gas economic system guidelines — a change that can make it simpler for People to purchase extra of the large, fuel-guzzling vans and SUVs that automobile consumers love.

Trump's endorsement stunned, delighted and considerably confused American kei automobile lovers.

It isn't really unlawful to construct tiny vehicles for the U.S. auto market. The issue is that kei vehicles constructed for international international locations do not meet U.S. security requirements, so you may't import them until you are prepared to purchase an vintage. And firms might construct tiny vehicles to U.S. requirements, however given the American choice for large autos, they merely do not.

"If that is going to be a kick in the proper route to perhaps get the home auto trade to rethink vehicles like this," mentioned Andrew Maxon, a kei automobile proprietor and the founding father of the Capital Kei Automobile Membership, "I am all for it. I am going to take what we will get."

An vintage exemption <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff8%2Fc2%2Fa0418b2d4bea9c8598e4e84721fa%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-1410.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff8%2Fc2%2Fa0418b2d4bea9c8598e4e84721fa%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-1410.jpg" class="img" alt="Andrew Maxon sits sideways in the right seat of his red Autozam AZ-1 kei car. The gull-wing door is raised upward, and Maxon's feet rest on the ground outside." loading="lazy"/> Andrew Maxon, the founding father of the Capital Kei Automobile Membership, sits in his Autozam AZ-1. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR cover caption

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Michael Noble Jr. for NPR Kei vehicles, vans and vans are very talked-about in Japan. However whereas new fashions would possibly meet Japan's security requirements for issues like airbags and seat belts, they are not designed to fulfill the very particular U.S. necessities.

To allow them to't be imported and pushed within the U.S. until they're a minimum of 25 years previous, which qualifies them as an vintage and exempt from federal security requirements. That is why each car at a latest Capital Kei Automobile Membership meetup in Northern Virginia was a minimum of 25.

Drivers raved about their tiny vehicles — their enjoyable dealing with, their cute look, the delighted responses they get after they drive them round.

Drivers of kei vans and vans additionally emphasised that the autos are sensible. Ryan Douglass changed his midsize American pickup with a pint-size Japanese one, however whereas it is shorter than a contemporary Mini Cooper, it nonetheless has a full 6-foot mattress, longer than you may discover on a whole lot of huge vans today.

"I can lay down within the mattress and never even contact the ends of it," he mentioned. Extra to the purpose, he can slot in a sheet of plywood.

Unbeatable costs, with some drawbacks <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7692x5128+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2F05%2F0c2fe78e4e8fb4ded3622cf3004a%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-690.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7692x5128+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2F05%2F0c2fe78e4e8fb4ded3622cf3004a%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-690.jpg" class="img" alt="Five car enthusiasts stand near the open hood of a black Suzuki Cappuccino kei car as they work on a minor repair in the engine bay." loading="lazy"/> Automobile lovers work on a minor restore within the engine bay of a Suzuki Cappuccino. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR cover caption

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Michael Noble Jr. for NPR A brand new kei automobile, truck or van may be snagged in Japan for lower than $15,000.

And the imported antiques? Douglass paid $8,000 for his truck, which runs nice, and he says that was on the costly finish; he paid another person to handle all of the import paperwork.

Mainstream pickups are expensive within the U.S. proper now, even after they're used. In November, the common value on Carfax.com was greater than $34,000.

Douglass marvels at how a lot his kei truck saved him.

"I believe I might get 5 - 6 of those and customise them to my coronary heart's need and nonetheless be cheaper than a brand-new truck that I should buy out of a dealership at present," he mentioned.

There are drawbacks, after all. Douglass' license plate warns drivers behind him that his car is, in reality, "VRYSLW."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2F66%2F76b17a454c8aaa7c1f1973fe1728%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-158.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2F66%2F76b17a454c8aaa7c1f1973fe1728%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-158.jpg" class="img" alt="Ryan Douglass steps out of the right door of his white Honda Acty kei pickup, which is parked in a parking lot." loading="lazy"/> Ryan Douglass steps out of his Honda Acty. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR cover caption

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Michael Noble Jr. for NPR The snub-nosed entrance of the car means there is not any protecting crumple zone in entrance of the driving force. If you happen to crash a kei truck, your knees take the hit immediately. And since these autos are all antiques, their security specs are antiquated too.

"I settle for the phrases and circumstances," mentioned Sergey Corridor, whose 1992 Suzuki Cappuccino automobile is even smaller than Douglass' car. "That is one of the best ways to place it. I do know that there aren't any security options on it. No airbags, ABS [antilock braking system], no throttle place sensors or something like that."

Security considerations are why some states ban imported vintage kei autos, even when federal guidelines enable them. That frustrates kei automobile lovers, who observe that bikes, which aren't famend for security, are authorized on highways.

"What's a 'protected' car?" mused Dan Kobayashi, who drives a Honda Acty kei truck. He famous {that a} automobile that is gradual and small is safer for pedestrians. And he identified that kei vehicles have nice visibility, in contrast with larger autos with large hoods and chunky "A pillars" framing the windshield. So in contrast to the driving force of an enormous SUV, Kobayashi mentioned, "I haven't got to fret about hitting youngsters in entrance of me, as a result of I can see in entrance of me."

Nonetheless, kei automobile drivers do have to fret about whether or not different drivers can see them on American roads, the place large autos are shifting at excessive speeds.

Little curiosity in little vehicles <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6707x4472+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb6%2F89%2F661057cc44f7b1b7720812733f37%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-832.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6707x4472+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb6%2F89%2F661057cc44f7b1b7720812733f37%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-832.jpg" class="img" alt="Nevi Bergeron sits behind the wheel of her Suzuki Cappuccino kei car. The steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle." loading="lazy"/> Nevi Bergeron sits behind the wheel in her Suzuki Cappuccino throughout a gathering of the Capital Kei Automobile Membership. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR cover caption

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Michael Noble Jr. for NPR In his remarks, Trump mentioned that corporations "cannot construct" little vehicles within the U.S. and that he'd instantly authorize the manufacturing of tiny autos.

The factor is, constructing these autos is just not really prohibited in the US.

Sure, federal security requirements block imports; for the document, the Transportation Division confirmed to NPR that these security requirements usually are not being waived for small vehicles. And, sure, some states prohibit imported antiques due to security considerations. So what's stopping automakers from constructing variations of those vehicles that do meet U.S. security requirements?

The American shopper.

When corporations offered smaller vehicles prior to now, "individuals did not wish to purchase them," says Jessica Caldwell, head of insights on the automobile knowledge website Edmunds.

"We take a look at the subcompact automobile — that's the smallest automobile offered in the US. That section is lower than 1% of the market," she says. And it is shrinking, not rising.

Federal gas economic system guidelines have been criticized for incentivizing bigger autos. Automakers have one other incentive to go huge: They enlarge income on larger autos.

However client preferences have additionally spoken loud and clear. Years in the past, Daimler made a push to promote the Good fortwo, a tiny automobile by any definition. It was low cost and cute, and it might match sideways in a parking spot. Nevertheless it was discontinued in 2019 after a couple of decade of disappointing gross sales.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7421x4948+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F48%2Feae3be504b9bba1e5cd185f6fbf0%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-1553.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7421x4948+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F48%2Feae3be504b9bba1e5cd185f6fbf0%2F20251213-nrr-kei-cars-1553.jpg" class="img" alt="On the left side of the frame, Andrew Maxon walks by his red Autozam AZ-1, whose right gull-wing door is raised. The back of the two-door kei car faces the camera." loading="lazy"/> Andrew Maxon walks by his Autozam AZ-1. Michael Noble Jr. for NPR cover caption

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Michael Noble Jr. for NPR On the Capitol Kei Automobile Membership meetup, I requested everybody there — huge followers of tiny vehicles — whether or not they assume America writ giant might study to like them too. Might small, low cost and gradual take off?

"If I needed to guess, I might guess towards it, sadly," Andy Creedon mentioned, summing up the overwhelming consensus.

Kobayashi was extra optimistic. His truck is beneficial, he mentioned. And small autos like this are widespread in different international locations; why not within the U.S.? As he mentioned, slightly enviously: "All people else on this planet has it."