President Trump has declared his fondness for Japan's tiny kei cars and now wants to see them made and sold in the US. Speaking at a White House event where he announced plans to roll back fuel efficiency standards, Trump praised the ultra compact cars, Ars Technica reports. "They're very small, they're really cute, and I said, 'How would that do in this country?'" Trump told reporters. 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 the affordable vehicles would give Americans a chance to own "a brand-new car as opposed to a car that maybe isn't so great," per Newsweek.
Trump announced that he has authorized Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to clear the way for their production. Road & Track notes that Duffy, who was standing next to Trump, appeared "rather surprised" by Trump's remarks, though he later said the administration has "cleared the deck" for automakers to build "smaller, more fuel-efficient" vehicles. Kei cars, which make up about a third of new vehicle sales in Japan, are designed for narrow streets and come with a low price tag. But they don't meet US safety regulations and are widely seen as too small and underpowered for American highways, where large trucks and SUVs dominate, Bloomberg reports.
Some states allow imported kei cars older than 25 years, but only for limited use or on private property. The market for these cars in the US is niche, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tatsuo Yoshida, who says the economics don't really add up for widespread sales. Ars Technica has some specs: Kei cars are allowed to be no larger than 11.2 feet long, 4.9 feet wide, and 6.6 feet tall. The engine can be no larger than 0.66 liters, with a maximum power output of 63hp.
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