Trump wanted little Kei trucks for America, Toyota makes it happen

Toyota is reviving the Scion name for experimental vehicles, starting with the KEI-01, a tiny all-wheel-drive truck inspired by Japan’s Kei class. Kei vehicles are tightly limited in size, engine capacity and power, making them inexpensive and practical in a country where parking is scarce; Japan sold nearly 1.7 million last year. The US, by contrast, has encouraged larger vehicles through fuel-economy rules that favor SUVs and pickups. President Trump’s call to make Kei vehicles available in America raised hopes for a broader choice of small, efficient cars.

The KEI-01 does not deliver that kind of car revolution: it will be classified as a low-speed vehicle, capped at 25 mph, and is right-hand drive. Toyota initially plans to sell it only to fleet buyers, targeting businesses, farms, campuses, delivery services and outdoor users. Its bed can carry 600 pounds, and it will be assembled from knock-down kits at Toyota’s Indiana plant, creating about 50 jobs in mid-2027. Pricing is unannounced, with estimates ranging from $10,000 to $28,000. Because it cannot keep pace with regular traffic and is not intended for individual buyers at launch, the truck is better understood as a specialized utility vehicle than as evidence that Japan-style Kei cars are coming to American roads.