Will tiny cars be hitting U.S. roads soon? They might — if President Donald Trump has his way.
Trump said on Friday that he’s paving the way for the construction of Japanese-style petite autos in the U.S.
“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 said in a social media post, describing them as “inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient, and quite simply, AMAZING!!!”
He urged automakers to “START BUILDING THEM NOW!”
The Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump expressed interest in Japan’s kei cars following a recent visit to the country. Vehicles under the classification are known for their slow speeds and miniature frame.
“They’re very small, they’re really cute, and I said, ‘How would that do in this country?’,” Trump said at the White House on Tuesday after signing an executive order rolling back Biden administration-era fuel efficiency standards.
A BYD Co. Racco electric kei car displayed during a media preview at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
At the moment, most kei cars don’t clear federal rules, and there are lingering concerns that the vehicles are too small and slow to be driven safely by drivers in the U.S., particularly on highways.
However, vehicle sizes have swelled in the U.S., and larger SUVs and trucks are “about 45 percent more likely to cause fatalities in pedestrian crashes,” per a 2023 study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “Over the past 30 years, the average U.S. passenger vehicle has gotten about 4 inches wider, 10 inches longer, 8 inches taller and 1,000 pounds heavier,” the nonprofit research group said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said this week that he’s partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to pave the way for domestic manufacturing of smaller cars. Even then, he acknowledged in a CBNC interview that they are “probably not” going to be on American freeways.
Kei cars are a popular choice in Japan, accounting for one-third of all new vehicle sales in the country. They’ve won over customers in dense cities with their low price tags — hovering around $10,000 depending on the model — and compact size. In the U.S., the few but growing number of Kei cars are becoming popular collectibles among auto enthusiasts.
AloJapan.com