Trump Wants Asia's 'Cute' Kei Cars To Be Made and Sold In US (bloomberg.com)
- Reference: 0180301269
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/12/05/221241/trump-wants-asias-cute-kei-cars-to-be-made-and-sold-in-us
- Source link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-04/trump-wants-asia-s-cute-kei-cars-to-be-made-and-sold-in-us
> 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 [3]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.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~sinij
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-04/trump-wants-asia-s-cute-kei-cars-to-be-made-and-sold-in-us
[3] https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/12/03/2341243/white-house-rolls-back-fuel-economy-standards
Huh? (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
Re: Huh? (Score:2)
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.
Re: Huh? (Score:3)
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)
Don't be silly. Trump hasn't experienced any ethical decline.
Re: (Score:2)
> 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: (Score:2)
>> 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.
[1]Would you like to try again? [imgur.com]
[1] https://i.imgur.com/babrxvh.jpeg
Re: (Score:2)
This your guy?
[1]https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02... [cnn.com]
[2]https://newrepublic.com/post/2... [newrepublic.com]
[3]https://www.washingtonpost.com... [washingtonpost.com]
Here's video of cheeto falling asleep white people continue to kiss his ass. [4]https://people.com/donald-trum... [people.com]
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/politics/sleep-trump-biden
[2] https://newrepublic.com/post/203983/trump-falls-asleep-peace-agreement-rwanda-drc
[3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/02/donald-trump-drowsy-cabinet-meeting/
[4] https://people.com/donald-trump-appears-fight-sleep-during-cabinet-meeting-11860608
Re:Huh? (Score:4, Insightful)
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)
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
Dementia (Score:1)
Why are people only now noticing the contradictions and hypocrisies of Trump?
Re: (Score:2)
He spewed gibberish a solid decade ago [1]https://www.snopes.com/fact-ch... [snopes.com] and lots of people said this would be a bad idea. But the smooth brains doubled down and here we are. The emperor has no clothes.
[1] https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-sentence/
Re: (Score:1)
So Trump does something that you would presumably like, but instead of saying something along the lines of 'Well, that's different, but kinda cool', you just have to bash him. I say bash him when he deserves it, which is a lot, but also recognize when he does something you agree with. It's really not that hard.
Re: (Score:2)
> Why would they want more fuel-efficient vehicles to be built?
Follow The Money.
Dementia is not the problem you think it is.
Re: (Score:2)
Almost like grandpa has lost his marbles and someone should take his keys.
Now we know the dementia is full-blown... (Score:1)
Trump wanting something small and cheap? That must be a first in his life.
Re: (Score:1)
For others. As others have said, I don't see his 400lbs fitting, or if it squeezed in, the suspension would probably collapse.
Re: (Score:2)
> Trump wanting something small and cheap? That must be a first in his life.
Well, when your little girl isn't toting around her 30 dolls anymore, you can obviously get a smaller car. /s
Re: (Score:2)
> Trump wanting something small and cheap? That must be a first in his life.
Well, not if you include females.
Trump supports American made Kei Cars?!?!? (Score:2)
Definitely one headline I was not expecting on my 2025 Political Bingo card.
Re: (Score:3)
He's trying to solve the affordability crisis he created.
Re: (Score:1)
Yes, [1]tarrifs are a tax on consumers [taxfoundation.org] but they are not unique to Trump. Did you know that Biden kept all the tariffs imposed under Trump's first term?
[1] https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/trump-tariffs-trade-war/
Re: (Score:2)
Was Trump doing global worldwide tariffs of 20-300% on almost all imports of every type his first term? Were those the ones kept?
Re: (Score:2)
What happened in 2020 and who was President that year?
Also Trump beaten by Obama yet again. Hell yeah.
From Volkswagon to Trumptruck (Score:3, Insightful)
Wanting a "people's car" was inevitable.
Hey (Score:3, Insightful)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
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
Re: Hey (Score:2)
> 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.
Re: (Score:2)
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.
Re: (Score:1)
> Spoiler alert: There never was any law saying you couldn't build small cars here in the USA.
These small cars still have to meet tons of regulations that make them not so cheap. I think people are not buying them because value is just not there. I'd love [1]Honda S660 [wikipedia.org] for $15K but instead only Mazda MX-5 Miata starting at $30K is what is available.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_S660
Re: (Score:2)
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.
Re: (Score:1)
Toyota sold 232,908 Corollas in 2024, while Ford sold 716,801 F-150 in 2024. Obviously, Corollas are not as popular, but saying there is stigma around buying small cars is just not supported by the data.
Re: (Score:3)
How on earth does that data refute what I said? There's no reason Corollas selling 232k units a year and my statement can't both be true. It doesn't have to be a universally held stigma for what I said to be true.
Just look at our small car sales versus almost any other first world country. Something has to explain the massive disparity in sales.
Re: (Score:1)
I thought it was obvious - Corolla is a small car that sells well. More so, if you add up all Compact SUVs (a lifted small car, such as Toyota Corolla Cross), you will not have such drastic difference. Thing is, CAFE currently penalizes selling small cars, so manufacturers would do it only when they have enough offsets to make a case. Otherwise they have to pay other manufacturers, like Tesla, for offset credits making small cars too expensive.
That is, the issue is the price not the size. Small car elsewhe
Re: (Score:2)
The modern Corolla isn't exactly a "small car" anymore. It's almost as big now as the Camry was in the mid-90s.
Re: (Score:1)
Yes, every vehicle got bigger. Two main reasons for that - crash ratings (smaller the car, harder it is to make crumple zones work) and emission standards (due to how regulation was written, larger the car less efficient it can be).
With that said, compared to other cars on the road today, Corolla is still a small car.
They are popular in JP because they work (Score:2)
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.
Re: (Score:3)
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 [1]allows UTVs and golf carts to be modified and regis [flhsmv.gov]
[1] https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/consumer-education/low-speed-vehicles/
Were it so easy (Score:1)
A me2 we can all enjoy.
Re: (Score:1)
I drove one someone brought to a car meet. Acceleration only an issue if you try to get up to highway speeds, they are more than capable keeping up with the city traffic because they are also very light. I imagine EV versions would be even fine up to highway speeds.
Also, there are many cars that are road legal, like Ford Fiesta or Mitsubishi Mirage, that are not going to do well in a collision with F-250. Neither would your regular car do well in a collision with a semi as there is no way around F=ma.
Re: (Score:2)
....que people taking these on the highway. While there are some vehicles allowed on our roads that can't go on the highway few in America are used to a car that can't be.
Re: (Score:1)
> ....que people taking these on the highway.
Then pull them over and write a big ticket. You are not allowed to take a scooter on the highway either, yet you can still buy one.
Re: (Score:2)
> Only someone with a death with would drive a kei car in the USA.
It'd probably do just fine in I-4 traffic between downtown Orlando and the attractions area. In fact, I think I could probably keep up with traffic on my e-scooter that maxes out at 20 MPH. Of course, I'm joking about the taking the scooter on the highway part, which is obviously illegal. Not joking about that it technically could keep up with traffic, for the most part.
I've actually seen quite a few of the Kei trucks here that people drive around town. They're not illegal to import if you get one that
Re: (Score:2)
Bicycles?
It's part of his shrinkflation play.. (Score:2)
Look everyone! Thanksgiving dinner is cheaper than last year! And we can all pile into the new car and almost pass pedestrians!
Still better than walking (Score:1)
Yes it is shrinkflation. Still, driving one is better than being forced to take public transit.
Re: (Score:2)
True! Also make the license and registration and insurance on these more agreeable to those less fortunate.
Re: (Score:2)
The Trump adminstration has released a video of how these vehicles might be used in America:
[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csuZHyW-iGI&t=30s
It's a desperate attempt (Score:1)
To deal with the affordability crisis. It doesn't work because if you get hit in one of those by an American SUV you might as well have gotten hit on a motorcycle. Hell you might be better off getting hit on a motorcycle is a small chance you wouldn' Get thrown clear instead of grinded into paste
The other problem is they aren't fast enough for freeways. Even the ones that can hit freeway speeds can't accelerate quickly enough to safely merge.
And of course there are much lower profit so nobody is go
Re: (Score:2)
To deal with the affordability crisis. It doesn't work because if you get hit in one of those by an American SUV you might as well have gotten hit on a motorcycle.
That's a reason to ban "American SUVs" not the Kai cars. One of the flaws in the crash safety rating for personal passenger vehicles is we are only considering how well vehicles protect their passengers, and not how much risk vehicles pose to other vehicles in a crash. We should be banning or limiting the speeds and restricting highway use o
Re: (Score:1)
You can't ban out of consumer preferences. If you ban SUVs people will drive converted full sized vans and large cab pickup trucks.
Re: (Score:2)
If you ban SUVs people will drive converted full sized vans and large cab pickup trucks.
My suggestion is not ban SUVs entirely, but require additional permitting heavily discouraging of consumer use. Restrict who can drive them when and where at what speed, and what for purpose. You may need an expensive permit, And take additional training to certify to a higher class large vehicle driver's license, for example.
Full sized vans and large cab pickups for personal use outside licensed work trucks or delivery
Re: (Score:2)
There's only a vehicle affordability crisis if you're unwilling to buy used. You can still get used Chevy Bolts with brand new replaced batteries for around $12k. I'm not gonna shill for the dealership since they're not giving me a commission, but it's frequently mentioned on the Bolt subreddit.
Back when the used EV tax credit was still a thing, people were snagging those cars for about $8k before taxes and fees. Getting rid of the used EV tax credit was a huge blow against affordability, and putting out
Re: (Score:2)
No, the Trump administration just rolled back CAFE standards assuring the automakers will continue to be able to sell large, expensive SUVs and trucks into the future. Why Trump commented on kei cars is anyone's guess. Regardless people in the US will mostly reject them should any auto manufacture attempt to push them on the public.
Re: (Score:2)
> The cognitive dissonance is so funny. You guys would normally love this, but ... lol
As always with the pedo protectors: Every Accusation is a Confession .
Re: (Score:1)
Yeah, I'm always surprised at the amount of TDS on /.
It certainly felt more conservative 20 years ago.
Re: (Score:2)
To be fair, I've seen at least one comment so far where someone said they'd be happy to buy a smaller vehicle if they were offered for sale. Really though, the president doesn't decide these things - the bean counters at the domestic auto manufacturers do. And if they had decided that making cheaper, lower profit margin cars was something they wanted to pursue, they'd already be doing it. There never was any law against it.
Mostly what people are getting confused on was that we can't import new Kei cars/t
Re: (Score:2)
> we can't import new Kei cars/trucks due to DOT regulations and various legal red tape. None of that has changed.
So, change it.
Re: (Score:2)
Rolling back emissions standards one day and then calling for small fuel efficient cars the next doesn't make much sense.
Re: (Score:2)
It has nothing to do with small cars that the dealers will refuse to sell, it is about rolling back the crash safety standards.
Even after all these years of this shit, Americans are still to stupid to see a bait-and-switch staring them in the face. There is little hope for the future.
Ok. (Score:2)
I love these cars, MAJA!!
Would love to have one (Score:4, Informative)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
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.
Re: (Score:1)
they have a 800cc and 1000cc model for outside japan.
\o/ (Score:1)
Trump just made millions of Americans' penises smaller.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
He wants them all to match his own.
Canada should build them too! (Score:2)
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!" (Score:2)
"It's all computer!"
Finally. US needs a real small pickup (Score:2)
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.
[1]https://www.carscoops.com/2023... [carscoops.com]
[2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
[1] https://www.carscoops.com/2023/11/toyota-hilux-champ-pickup-debuts-in-thailand-as-a-13k-workhorse/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQSj7BwidhU
Re: (Score:2)
The Ford Maverick is not great, but not terrible.
Re: (Score:1)
that means we can get the hilux back in the usa.
Re: (Score:2)
[1]Bugger! [youtube.com]
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUNJd06iyWU
No. (Score:1)
Car makers stopped making them for a reason, to push sales to more expensive models. as lower priced ones are not profit makers. Should Honda bring back the Fit, or Toyota Bring back their Celica/Tercel? They make their own small cars in other countries already. They can easily increase production for certain models and start selling. Parts are available. Besides kei-cars can't pass the safety standards in the US anyway.
Re: (Score:2)
> Besides kei-cars can't pass the safety standards in the US anyway.
And electric scooters can?
Climate Deniers Unite! (Score:2)
> "Hopefully these are restricted from the highway system."
No, just reduce the speeds and restrict the size of vehicles that use the highway system. Everyone will be safer including the planet.
Re: (Score:2)
Why? They allow those electric bicycles on the highway.
Re: (Score:2)
I think most limited access highways don't allow bicycles of any kind. But yes, getting the speeds down to bike speeds would make highways safer, reduce emissions and make transportation much cheaper. Perhaps we should take two of those four lanes and reserve them for large vehicles, like semi-trucks, and let the safer small efficient vehicles use the other two.
Re: (Score:2)
> I think most limited access highways don't allow bicycles of any kind.
That would require some sort of enforcement in the face of a possible riot by Critical Mass. The law may say "no", but the realities of enforcement say, "Go ahead, kid."
Paywalled (Score:2)
Why does Slashdot post pages that are paywalled? Not even a executive summary?
Like His Fat Ass Can Fit In One (Score:1, Insightful)
Can't we deport this stupid fuck to Venezuela?
Re:Like His Fat Ass Can Fit In One (Score:4, Funny)
That would be unconstitutional.
Re: Like His Fat Ass Can Fit In One (Score:2)
I don't think this document holds nearly as much weight as you think it does.
Re: (Score:1)
Kind of the joke I was looking for, but I just wish the YOB would finish imploding and go away. Unfortunately I feel like it's too late. This trend started a long time ago, and the YOB is only the peak so far. Now that the precedent has been established and the paths to harvesting the government are well established, it's not like they'll stop after the YOB disappears.
Instead, whatever stupid stuff the YOB says today, we wind up discussing it until he says something more stupid tomorrow.
(Heck, notwithstandi
Re: (Score:1)
You mean: That would be "unconstitutional".
I'm sure we can make a deal.
Re:Like His Fat Ass Can Fit In One (Score:4, Informative)
Not being constitutional has never stopped Trump in the past why should it stop us?
I mean at this point Trump has wiped his ass with the Constitution so many times it's going to take a full rewrites to get the shit stains out.
Assuming We don't have a third term of Trump. He might be too senile. Multiple doctors have mentioned that it's likely the bumps and bruises on his hands are from an IV drip for an Alzheimer's medication. And if he's that far along he's not going to make it to 2028.
Re: Like His Fat Ass Can Fit In One (Score:1)
> I mean at this point Trump has wiped his ass with the Constitution...
That would actually make a nice novelty toilet paper. Someone could send a sample to the White House for the official stamp of approval (presumably orange-brown :-)
Re: (Score:1)
His fat ass can fit in a golf cart, can't it?
Re: (Score:1)
> Can't we deport this stupid fuck to Venezuela?
That would be an act of war. Convert Mara Lago into a one man prison with a 50' wall around it. Don't include the golf course, just the building. When he dies fill it with concrete as a monument saying NEVER AGAIN!