CNN
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Measuring about half the length of a Ford F-150, Kei trucks look almost like toys compared to your standard truck. But for such a small car, you might be surprised by the massive following they command.
Kei trucks, built to meet Japanese light vehicle regulations and known as “keitora” (meaning “light truck”) in Japan, are vehicles that have enjoyed a surge in popularity in the automotive market. Sales of Kei trucks tripled in the past five years, with about 7,500 total imported last year alone, according to data from Japan Used Motor Vehicle.
Meanwhile, auto experts see the Kei truck craze as a backlash against big trucks by cash-strapped Americans, as the average truck size and price skyrocketed after the pandemic, according to data from Cars.com.
But the cult following of these mini trucks can best be measured by the presence of online spaces that owners and enthusiasts have created for themselves.
The Instagram page Kei Trucks Appreciation Society (@keitrucksas) sells Kei truck-themed merchandise from hoodies to stickers and posts memes to its more than 95,000 followers. At X, Kei truck fans share photos of mini trucks that stand out in the wild.
There’s even a dedicated Reddit forum where over 23,000 members trade truck maintenance tips and their experiences importing from Japan.
But also common are discussions of the ever-changing legality of Kei trucks by state.
While federal regulation allows mini trucks to be imported as long as they are 25 years old or older, state laws related to road use and registration are unclear.
Most states lack Kei-specific regulations entirely, and so far, only 19 states allow Kei trucks on public roads. In New York, where the laws are stricter, they cannot be registered or titled.
But despite the restrictions, demand for Kei trucks continues to grow.
Here’s what makes them so popular.
On the practical end, Kei trucks combine utility and affordability.
“People want the functionality of a truck, but they don’t want the size of it or to spend $60,000 on it,” said George Zotos, owner and CEO of truck brokerage Kei OIWA.co.
Prices for the Ford F-150 Raptor, one of the highest-powered models in the lineup, start at $78,440. And the top-of-the-line 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country starts at $68,495.
According to Zoto, sticker prices for Kei trucks sold in cans range from $500 to $6,000. Research from CNN shows they can go even further than that in good shape.
Tetsu Ichino, owner of Maruichi Japanese grocery store in Rockville, Maryland, told CNN that he bought his Kei truck for $5,000. Adding shipping and taxes, his total came to $8,100.
“I was able to buy it with my credit card. I’ve never bought a car with a credit card, so that was a first for me,” he said.
Ichino, a lifelong truck enthusiast, sold his full-size Toyota Tundra pickup truck in March because he didn’t use it as often, but later lost the service it provided. He told CNN that while he originally planned to buy another truck of a similar size, he found himself caught up in the hype of the Kei trucks.
The engine in Ichino’s 1998 Honda Acty is smaller than a motorcycle, but he says it’s still one of the most practical trucks out there. And in Maryland, where there are no specific Kei regulations, he mostly uses it to transport supplies to his store.
“For most of what I do, I’ll be able to do with the Kei truck,” he said.
According to Andrew O’Bright, managing member of Japanese auto import company JDM Imports CT, most mini trucks have the same roughly 6-foot bed size as the F-150, Ford’s popular full-size truck line. for its pulling capacity and power. the engine.
“They have the utility of an F-150 while getting 30 to 50 miles to the gallon on cheaper insurance, cheaper gas,” he said. “Everything about them tells consumers that this is the way to go.”
But efficiency is not the only attractive point of the Kei truck. Their unique, toy-like image also gives them a sense of novelty.
“It’s hard to quantify other than people being fascinated with this micro vehicle,” Zotos said.
He also points to the truck’s versatility as another reason why they appeal to such a wide demographic.
“We’re talking about people just turning 16 and getting their driver’s license,” he said. “I had another client in Chicago who took a truck just to wrap it for advertising.”
The cool factor of the Kei truck has come in handy for Melissa Torre, founder of Philadelphia-based soap and skin care company Vellum Street.
As a small business owner, Torre is a regular at farmers markets where vendors are typically given a 10×10 space.
To avoid the hassle of transporting her goods back and forth between the parking area and the market, she began looking at trucks from which she could operate her business. But the vans and milk trucks she initially considered were much longer, and she would need to buy two spaces to set up shop.
In her research process, Torre came across Kei trucks, which measure less than 11 meters in length.
“They would fit exactly in the space I had used. It was just a perfect transition without having to increase my cost,” she said. “I just pull up and put it in the back of my truck. So it’s made life a lot easier.”
She told CNN that she even had her 1996 Daihatsu Shades bubble painted to match her company’s branding.
“People who might not have stopped to talk to me at markets before will stop and talk about the truck. It’s a moving billboard, but in a fun way,” she said. “The kids love it. Adults love it. People are always surprised that I actually drove it there.”
Smaller and simpler
But for all their popularity, auto experts don’t see Kei trucks becoming mainstream.
“It would be hard to imagine,” said Mark Schirmer, director of corporate communications at Cox Automotive. He pointed to the failure of Mercedes’ Smart brand in the US but their success in Japan as an example of smaller vehicles performing better in countries with smaller roads. The Smart Cars, small vehicles built with just two seats and minimal trunk space by Mercedes-Benz, were introduced in 2008 but exited the US market in 2019 due to poor sales.
“I think Americans are just used to space,” Schirmer added.
And nonprofits like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have been vocal about their opposition to the road use of mini trucks, citing concerns about the safety of low-speed vehicles.
Still, he sees the popularity of more compact — if not quite small — truck models like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz as a sign of Americans’ appetite for a smaller truck segment.
While the Ford F-150 offers 5.5-foot, 6.5-foot, and 8-foot bed options, the Maverick is only available in a 4.5-foot bed. But sales figures reached 40,420 by the first half of 2024, according to data from Ford. And data from Edmunds showed that Americans were trading more midsize and large trucks for compact trucks than the other way around.
Ivan Drury, Edmunds’ Director of Insights, says that climbing costs for trucks, along with high interest rates, are at the heart of this preference shift toward smaller trucks.
“I think people have always liked the utility of trucks, but unfortunately when they found out they liked trucks 10 years ago, the price just started going through the roof,” he said. “With all the features and additions, you look at how much a truck has changed over the last 10 years, they’re nothing like they used to be.”
As competition within the auto industry heats up and automakers race to roll out more advanced features, Drury says the popularity of smaller vehicles signals a desire for a return to simpler car designs.
“There’s a lot of technology,” he said. “At some point, it will be too much and you will walk away from it. You’re like, “‘I don’t need all this.’