Donald Trump just told reporters that while visiting Japan, he spotted some “very small, really cute” cars, and wondered why America doesn’t offer anything like it. Turns out, he explained, “we aren’t allowed to build them.” So, he proudly announced, he told Sean Duffy to immediately clear out the regulations in the way. Ford CEO Jim Farley and Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa stood quietly behind the president.

They’d all met over federal fuel economy standards, which Pres. Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy are weakening. The president mentioned kei cars and his “enlightened,” urgent push to build them on domestic soil as a brief aside. While it sounded simple coming from the Oval Office, lumping whatever federal rules he referenced with the kei class goes beyond bureaucratic moodiness.

Look, I love a kei car (we’re covered them as loving fans over the years here at MotorBiscuit). But they’re closer to golf carts. Fun to knock around in at 25 or 30 mph, not blend into freeway traffic alongside Chevy Tahoes.

The thought of folks buying these brand-new en masse is sort of terrifying.

By the way, every time something even close to a kei comes to the U.S. market, it all but flops. Think the Fiat 500 (1,500-ish sold here in 2024) or the Smart Fortwo (only 626 U.S. drivers took one home in 2019, its last production year).

There’s plenty to say on the topic, here, so let’s dive a bit more deeply.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)

The United States requires every new car to meet strict safety and emissions standards. These rules dictate how a vehicle protects you in a crash, how cleanly it runs, and how it holds up at our freeway speeds.

Kei cars were never designed for us. They’re built for Japan’s narrow streets and low-speed traffic. Park one next to a three-row family SUV in North Carolina or Illinois and the scale difference explains the regulatory headaches.

Scrapping rules to make room for kei-class cars would introduce real safety problems

Americans do want cheaper cars. They’re exhausted by 2025 pricing. But affordability only helps if the vehicle can actually serve family life.

Drivers here need room, crash protection, and enough stability to survive interstate driving. A bargain that folds up in a collision or can’t handle daily duty doesn’t solve the affordability crisis.

Look at the Slate truck for a taste of that tension

It targets a “very low price” (sub-$30k) and leans into a bare-bones vibe. That’s appealing in its own way, but the more you strip out, the harder it becomes to pass U.S. crash tests. If it ever reaches production, engineers face an uphill climb because the starting point is so minimal.

On the other side of the Slate coin, buyers face “petty” upcharges for simple tech, interior features, and exterior aesthetics. After all’s said and done building one out, drivers might end up paying close to a midsize like the Ford Ranger, which starts around $33k.

And anyway, we already have cheap compact trucks on the market that meet federal safety and emissions standards, like the Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick. Both are sub-$30k to start, and they’re far more loaded from the factory, too.

Building inexpensive cars in America is simply tough

Keep in mind that the president made no mention of eliminating the Chicken Tax. He specifically wants carmakers to build these vehicles here, not produce them overseas and ship them in.

Labor costs, regulations (at least the ones we have today, for who knows how long), and consumer expectations all add weight.

Other countries do better because their buyers accept smaller sizes, their roads run at lower speeds, and their regulations support micro-cars. Here, the environment pushes sturdier and more versatile cars, which drives up cost.

Going big wasn’t the perfect answer, but shrinking all the way to kei size won’t crack the affordability problem either

The real solution sits in the middle. Americans need lower-cost cars that still offer space, safety, and everyday usefulness. It’s not as flashy as promising “tiny, cute cars,” but it’s the only path that works in the long run.

Chevy’s doing an excellent job filling the gap with the Trax, for instance. In 2024, the carmaker sold more than 200,000 of them. And for good reason: the four-door compact SUV starts at just $21,600 for the 2026 model.

If Toyota suddenly gets to build and release a Hilux here, you bet I’ll be excited. But if it happens through wiping out reasonable safety standards, it’s a huge nope in my book. We’ll just have to see where this goes.