From the New York Times:
Imagine a pickup truck, but much smaller, lighter and lacking any frills. It’s a vehicle that people in Japan have been using for decades. And now Toyota wants to sell one in the United States.
This week, the automaker introduced a tiny pickup truck inspired by Japanese “Kei” trucks, under the Scion brand that Toyota shuttered in 2016. The vehicle, the Scion KEI-01, will go on sale next year.
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Toyota says the KEI-01 will be assembled in Indiana and will qualify as a “low speed vehicle” under federal regulations. Vehicles in that category must have a top speed of 25 miles an hour and are generally forbidden from roads with speed limits of more than 35 m.p.h. Such vehicles also do not have to meet the same safety and other standards as regular cars.
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The truck will not be practical as a replacement for a regular car or pickup. In addition to its low speed, the KEI-01’s steering wheel will be on the right-hand side as it is in Japan. Partly as a result, Toyota has said it expects the truck, which has a three-cylinder engine and a bed that opens on three sides, will primarily be used by small businesses, farmers, colleges, local governments and hobbyists.
Call me a hobbyist, because sign me up! Probably still worth buying the 25 year old models as I’m sure it’ll still be cheaper, but good to see more options. Can’t wait for a domestic used market. Unfortunately, from the Toyota press release, it sounds like initial sales will only be to fleet operators and retail will be based on that popularity.
These are EVERYWHERE in Japan. I’ll write a post about vehicles at some point. For now, check out this beast:
