Trump says he approved the making of Japanese 'tiny cars' to be sold in the US

[Polybius]

Source: The Independent

“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.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-japanese-tiny-cars-kei-b2879150.html

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Wow, it's been years since I actually agreed with anything he's said, so I need a drink...

[Silent Type]

1. Something like that might be good for my situation. But was it something that was actually being held up previously?

Have no idea. trump is still a POS.

[RockRaven]

2. How do they fare when collided with those 2-3+ ton behemoths he also insists be sold in the US?

[Strelnikov_]

24. Mostly better than a Raccoon

Mostly.

The Mercedes developed Smart Car was/is actually pretty safe, in that they invested in the development of a very strong ‘cage’.

These, probably not so much. Considering how many jurisdictions are allowing 4 wheelers on roads, seems NTHSA is out the window.

[Bayard]

42. I was wondering,

How they would fare against a tractor trailer rig on the interstate.

I'm reminded of a friend who was getting off I-65, and was stopped at the end of the ramp in the turn lane. A semi completely creamed her full sized car, saying he didn't see her.

[Hassler]

3. I assume he's lying.

[Grins]

4. Don't need your approval, mushroom dick! NM

[Igel]

43. Ultimately, yes.

They were not to be imported because they, as vehicles, could not be permitted on US roads. If not Trump, then at some point there has to be some Trump appointee signing off on them, using his authority.

Revise the regs and let the importing and manufacture begin.

https://legalclarity.org/why-are-kei-cars-illegal-in-the-us/

[msongs]

5. many of those van types in Hawaii but they are all right hand drive as they do in Japan

[RazorbackExpat]

6. "Kei trucks" are only a small proportion of "kei jidousha" in Japan

"Kei trucks" (軽トラック are almost exclusively the realm of farmers and home handymen. They are just a small subset of "kei jidousha" (軽自動車 , which are cars, trucks and vans that have an engine displacement of less than 670cc. Nearly all Suzuki and Daihatsu cars in Japan are "kei cars" but not "kei trucks". "Kei jidousha" are distinguished by their yellow license plates.

[mitch96]

40. Honda makes a neat little Kei convertible...660 cc . I've had motorcycle bigger than this.. but it is WAY cool.

[MissouriDem47]

7. It Would Be Fun

To drive a car the size of a golf car on the interstate. How are the semi's going to be able to see you?

[Tetrachloride]

9. K cars are not allowed on interstate highways, essentially

[Onthefly]

34. My daughter has a Kei car from Japan

Ordered it from a broker and had it shipped by freighter. Picked it up at the port and drove it home. Japanese title was problematic, but eventually got tags for it. Can only be driven in town. Tops at 55mph. It has a 580cc turbo engine. Parts must come from Japan or Australia at high prices. Anyway, it is a novelty for her. She has a bigger car for every day use.

[Woodwizard]

19. About the same as seing a motorcycle.

Or a mini Cooper. I used to drive a 71 fiat 850 sport the car was tiny.

[twodogsbarking]

35. I had a yellow one, same thing. Weighed about 1400 lbs. 40 mpg, 803 cc although called 850.

Top speed was about 70. Hills were fine going down. We are old my friend. Fix It Again Today. FIAT.

[Woodwizard]

36. I hit 95 in mine

It took a while and felt a lot faster. I actually replaced the engine with a 72 the cam was shot in the 71. Got the replacement engine from one on our on base junkyard for 20 bucks minus the cylinder head which I used from the 71.

You could pick the engine up alone I pulled it more than once.

It was the most unreliable car I ever had but so much fun to drive.

[twodogsbarking]

38. I occaionally squeezed myself and two others in. Was better when it was two females.

[Tetrachloride]

8. Cappuccino

[Mawspam2]

10. Try to get insurance for the little death coffins.

Can-am, Polaris, Yamaha, and John Deere would like a moment to talk about their side-by-sides.

[generalbetrayus]

11. OJ Caesar's tiny car.

[Raven123]

12. Something is off here. What are these? Glorified golf carts?

[Eugene]

16. No. Kei vehicles are subcompact cars/trucks, slightly smaller than the 1990s Geo Tracker

or today's Mini Cooper. The Kei spec also limits engine size, power and top speed.

They're small, efficient and popular overseas, but they are not street-legal in many U.S. states. The other main barrier is that they are low-margin, high-tariff products in a market that craves big high-margin SUVs.

[mitch96]

41. B/c of their size and weight in Japan they get a tax and insurance break. nt

[LilElf70]

13. The next thing I expect from Trump

is that these cars, with obvious horrendous safety features, are only available to illegals. Estimated to save ICE a ton of money. Deaths from car accidents will increase. Believe me, he's saying all this shit this for a reason, as he is not to be trusted. And like it was noted earlier, can you image little cars cruising on the interstates with semi's, big SUV's? Yeah, he really thought this one through. Just like the tariffs.

Just found this: https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a69632858/trumps-kei-car-plan-regulatory-changes/

[Orrex]

17. Illegals? Like 34-count felons?

[LilElf70]

22. Good one

[progree]

14. "Building Kei trucks in the U.S. would also require alterations to federal motor vehicle safety standards"

from the OP's article, repeating the link for convenience of reference:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-japanese-tiny-cars-kei-b2879150.html

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.

So this is the motive? I don't get how this makes sense ... this would also result in less costly EV's too ... though I guess it would help U.S. car manufacturers meet the fleet average mpg standards without building more EVs or building fewer EVs (mpg standards were recently reduced from 50.4 to 34.5 mpg by 2031 https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143576525 . But why didn't he go ahead and reduce them to like 10 mpg or get rid of them entirely? So that he wouldn't have to push the building of little beep beeps)

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 ( https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a69632858/trumps-kei-car-plan-regulatory-changes/ ).

"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.

. . . The Independent has contacted the White House for comment on potential changes to federal safety standards to allow Kei trucks to be built.

[travelingthrulife]

30. This is why he did it. Someone told him no.

"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.

[Raven123]

44. Good luck getting insurance on them

[BidenRocks]

15. Know your audience dipshit!

How many Smart brand, or Fiat Abarth cars do you see on the roads?

The smallest acceptable truck would be like a 2000 Tacoma pick up.
4 cyl 5 speed Not big.

Look at a Tacoma these days.

This car venture is DOA!

[NickB79]

18. My old neighbor had one

He drove it around on the gravel roads here all the time. It was adorable.

He also used it to hand out dozens of free pot plants door to door when they became legal in Minnesota 🤣

[tanyev]

20. His MAGA base has resoundingly rejected small sedans for giant trucks and SUVs.

He thinks they’ll get excited by Japanese tiny cars??

[kkmarie]

25. IF this even comes fruition

What do the big 3 say about the competition? And what about the auto workers union?
After I typed that I would imagine Krasnov is getting money from the Japan auto maker. And then the big 3 will have to give him more money to reverse it.


#TrumpFiles fna #EpsteinFiles

[Diamond_Dog]

27. Oh, yes, I remember the MAGA crowd

mocking Joe Biden’s auto emission initiatives, saying Biden wants us to all drive little clown cars when Ah Wants Mah Big Pickup Truck.

[Polybius]

32. They also at one time rejected electric cars

Now, they have come around to them.

[QueerDuck]

21. Are they street-safe, or are they mostly for farm-use and residential (gated-community) use?

I can easily imagine the turbulence of the aerodynamic wake from a passing semi would flip one of these things on its side.

It's an enclosed golf cart. A death trap. The occupants would never survive a collision of any type (side, front, or rear.) Imagine crickets in a beer can being hit by a sledge hammer.

Perhaps he's thinking of dismantling the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). No standards, no safety regs... just let the public decide what's "safe enough" and the risks they are willing to take with their own lives... along with other people's lives, too.

[Polybius]

33. What about Smart Cars then?

They are 8'2, so how are they street legal and get past our strict safety standards?

[QueerDuck]

39. Lower center of gravity? I know that they are bigger than the Smart Cars in Germany...

... a longer wheel base, I believe. However, I decided to go ahead and check with Google... and here's what I found.

Changes Made for US Street Safety
To be considered street-safe and compliant with US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), the US Smart Cars (specifically the ForTwo) underwent several modifications:

Reinforced Door Beams: Aluminum cross beams were added to the doors to improve side-impact protection.

Thicker Crash Bars: The crash bars (impact absorbers) were made thicker to better manage impact energy.

Airbags: The number of airbags was increased, with US models featuring eight dual-stage airbags (front, knee, side/thorax, and window curtain in the coupe) compared to the European versions.

Bumper Standards: The bumpers were modified to withstand 5 mph impacts as required by older US regulations.

Emissions Standards: The engine was adjusted to meet the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions standards.

Occupant Retention: Modifications were made to address the concern of the driver's door unlatching during a side-impact crash test, which was noted by the NHTSA as a risk for occupant ejection.

Engine & Weight: The switch to a larger 4-cylinder engine and the addition of safety components made the US version heavier and less fuel-efficient than its European counterparts.

[LilElf70]

23. The traffic issues alone would create a huge problem.

Imagine millions of these on the roads, puttin along at 15-45 mph. I personally don't think these vehicles should even be allowed on the sidewalks, no less a regular road. Add if they were, omg......

[Diamond_Dog]

26. These do not meet U.S. safety standards.

No way will this gain any traction here.

This is just Playtime to keep him occupied until his nap and make it look like he’s doing something.

[Turbineguy]

28. I'm amazed he doesn't import the Trabant

They are dangerous, slow and and belch emissions.

And they are ugly.

[sop]

29. Florida legalized golf carts on public roadways throughout the state.

https://www.gloverlawfirm.com/floridas-golf-cart-laws/

In The Villages, the bastion of Trumpism in Florida, golf carts are the primary means of transportation on roads with speed limits of 30 mph or less. They've even constructed dedicated bridges/tunnels so the carts can cross major highways. Golf cart are required to follow all traffic laws, with specific equipment (lights, signals, mirrors) needed for night use. These tiny electric people movers in crowded urban areas are the perfect solution to many of the problems caused by "normal" cars and trucks.

[Polybius]

31. OK, question for those who know:

If tiny cars aren't allowed due to size and speed (not being able to go fast enough for highway speeds), how do Smart Cars get away with it? I see them quite often here in NY. They are only about 8'2 long and can go 81 mph.

[newdeal2]

37. Counters market trends

Americans, on average, are generally bigger than Japanese.

Americans buy bigger cars and SUVs and trucks, even when it's only for a single person.

Plus he's encouraging more oil & gas drilling so theoretically if he gets his way fuel prices won't be high enough to necessitate lifestyle changes like getting smaller fuel efficient cars.