Trump’s Tiny Trucks and Cars Are Coming to America

Americans love big pickups, but what about tiny trucks? We’ll soon find out, thanks in part to President Trump.When the president announced plans to roll back the Biden-era fuel efficiency rules last year, he made an unexpected aside. Addressing the rising price of automobiles, he mentioned that he had seen small, cheap vehicles on sale in Japan that he wanted to bring to America.He was referring to the country’s “kei” class cars, trucks and vans. The name is short for kei-jidōsha, which translates to “light automobile.” They’re about 11 feet long, five feet wide and often cost less than $10,000. Japan’s crowded cities are teeming with them.“They’re very small, they’re really cute, and I said, ‘How would that do in this country?’ And everyone seems to think good,” Mr. Trump said. “But you’re not allowed to build them, and I’ve authorized the [Transportation] secretary to immediately approve the production of those cars.” The Kei-01 is a two-seat pickup that can carry up to 600 pounds of cargo. ToyotaKei vehicles are not technically banned in America. The difference between them and the subcompacts currently sold here, like the similarly sized Fiat 500e, is that they are not designed to meet federal safety standards. Updating them would add weight and cost and largely defeat their purpose.Japanese laws also only allow them to use very small gas motors with up to 660cc of displacement, which is less than many motorcycle engines. The most powerful models have 63 horsepower and still need a stiff breeze to reach highway speeds, which can feel treacherous behind the wheel. Nevertheless, Toyota has found a way to sell a kei in America.The Scion by Toyota Kei-01 it recently revealed also revives the youth-oriented Scion brand name, which the automaker abandoned in 2016. It is a two-seat pickup with four-wheel-drive, a dropside flatbed and is set to be assembled at a Toyota factory in Indiana starting next year. The Kei-01, with the steering wheel on the right side. ToyotaThe caveat is that Toyota is certifying it as an LSV, or low-speed vehicle, like the carts popular in resort and retirement communities. LSVs are restricted to a 25 mph top speed and for use on roads with speed limits no higher than 35 mph, while additional usage rules vary state-to-state. The Kei-01’s steering wheel is also on the right side of the vehicle, as it is in Japan.Toyota hasn’t announced pricing, but the Kei-01’s limitations mean it is not quite the solution to America’s automotive affordability problem the president was likely hoping for. It will be marketed initially as a commercial vehicle for farms, campuses, urban short-haul delivery operations and the like, but retail sales could follow.If that happens, it will already be facing competition. Fiat has begun importing its own LSV, but it’s very different from a kei truck. The Topolino borrows its name and retro styling vibes from a microcar Fiat sold from the 1930s to the 1950s. The Moroccan-built electric model is a common sight in places like Rome and Amsterdam, where you’ll find them parked in every other nook and cranny.The Toipolino is very much a local runabout. Its motor is rated at just 8 hp and it has a 46-mile range between charges, which are accomplished through a 110-volt cable built into the vehicle.The Topolino is ideal for the beach scene and is offered in a Dolce Vita model with ropes instead of doors and a soft roll-back sunroof. Even the enclosed version does without heat or air conditioning. It doesn’t have a trunk, but the fabric, striped dashboard opens up like a handbag for storage. The $14,985 Topolino is very much a local runabout. Its motor is rated at just 8 hp and it has a 46-mile range between charges, which are accomplished through a 110-volt cable built into the vehicle.The electric Fiat Topolino has a 46-mile driving range. FiatI took a Dolce Vita for a spin through Greenwich Village on a chilly day, and it got more adoring attention than a supercar would. I learned the hard way that dressing fashionably is a prerequisite, because all eyes are on it and you.I ride bikes and motorcycles in the city, so I’m used to feeling vulnerable in traffic, but the Topolino definitely keeps you on your guard. It isn’t too slow to keep up with the flow between lights, but I didn’t venture outside the 25 mph zone. It handles well enough, but the ride is stiff and the seat cushioning thin. Think of it as a four-wheel scooter and the same sort of fun.Unfortunately, pedestrians don’t seem to show the half-ton car much respect and jaywalk in front of it with abandon, despite the very loud alert it emits for them below 20 mph. That said, the sound is something like a chorus of angels singing and might not be an intuitive warning.The Topolino seems best suited for coastal towns where fancy LSVs have become the rage in recent years. I imagine a certain beach club owner with a penchant for tiny vehicles could find good use for both the Topolino and a Kei-01 at their property when they retire in a couple of years.

Trump’s Tiny Trucks and Cars Are Coming to America

Trump’s Tiny Trucks and Cars Are Coming to America

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