Toyota is bringing its own version of Japan’s tiny pickup trucks to the United States.
Known as kei trucks, these miniature pickups have been popular in Japan and other parts of Asia for decades.
At roughly 11 feet long, they’re about half the length of some full-size American pickups. Their unusual size has earned them a following in the U.S., where enthusiasts on Reddit share photos of their own trucks and rare sightings of the tiny trucks.
Apparently, even President Donald Trump is a fan. After visiting Asia last year, Trump called Japan’s tiny vehicles “really cute” and pushed for them to be made in the U.S.
Now, there’s some good news for the president and other kei fans. Toyota announced Tuesday that it will start selling its own version of the mini trucks in the U.S. next year. But there’s a tiny catch.
The truck, called the KEI-01, will top out at just 25 mph.
Toyota says the truck is designed to meet federal safety requirements for low-speed vehicles, which are less strict than those for conventional cars and trucks. Unlike conventional vehicles, low-speed vehicles aren’t required to meet the same federal crashworthiness standards.
