momentous change might be coming to American roads following visit to Japan by U.S. President Donald Trump. America's ubiquitous, muscular SUVs may soon be usurped by four-seater, 660 cc car that is hugely popular in Japan — "kei car". President Trump seems to have developed particular fondness for this miniature automobile. He wants to pave way for kei cars to be manufactured in USA. He wrote on his Truth Social website: "I have just approved tiny cars to be built in America. Manufacturers have long wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries." He added that cars were "inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient, and quite simply, amazing".
In Japan, kei cars account for around third of all new vehicle sales. They are ideally suited to narrow streets of Japan's bustling, densely populated cities. However, legislation needs to be passed to make the cars road-legal in USA. website Quartz reported that: "Most kei cars don't clear federal rules, and there are lingering concerns that vehicles are too small and slow to be driven safely...on highways." Trump has directed his Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, to remove all barriers to their production. Mr Duffy said: "If Toyota or any other company wants to make smaller, more affordable and fuel-efficient cars, we have cleared deck so they can...sell them in America."
