https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/04/20/rural-americans-are-importing-tiny-japanese-pickup-trucks

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[                    ]
United States | Tiny trucks

Rural Americans are importing tiny Japanese pickup trucks

Bigger isn't always better

KMTEB3 Man looking at the sea from a wall in a peaceful enviroment
Apr 20th 2023 | CHICAGO
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A couple of years ago Jake Morgan, a farmer who lives just outside
Raleigh, in North Carolina, realised he needed a new vehicle to get
around his property. At first he was looking at "side-by-sides"--a
sort of off-road utility vehicle. But watching a review on YouTube of
one that costs around $30,000 made by John Deere, he saw a comment
that said something like "Why don't you just get a minitruck instead?
" That is, a tiny four-wheel drive pickup truck, sometimes known as a
"Kei" truck, mostly made in Japan to take advantage of laws there
which tax smaller vehicles less.

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Intrigued, Mr Morgan started researching. Within a few months, he
drove to Newport, Virginia to pick up a 1997 Honda Acty, having spent
a total of just $2,000 on importing it. He was delighted. Not only
was it "dirt cheap", but the Acty is less than five feet wide, and so
can get into tight spaces a normal pickup cannot, like Mr Morgan's
barn. And unlike a side-by-side, it can also be driven legally on
local roads. "They're amazingly useful," he says. Not long after
importing his first, he sold it and bought another. The new one is
even better--it has air-conditioning and a button which activates a
dumper.

Kei trucks were never intended for sale in America. Most are
right-hand drive, and they do not always have airbags or other safety
features required in new cars. The bulk are imported under a rule
that allows non-compliant vehicles that are older than 25 years to be
brought into America, a carve-out intended originally for collectible
vintage cars, although a few specialist dealers import newer ones
too, for sale as off-road vehicles. They fill a niche American
manufacturers are failing to.

Todd Gatto, one of the owners of hvny Imports, a firm in Goshen, New
York, says that he has sold over 300 to local businesses in the past
few years. "We bought five of them to start, and we sold them all
within seven days," he says. Buyers include farmers, but also
building contractors, a deli and Legoland, the theme park. "A lot of
commercial businesses see the use of these over an $85,000 F250," he
says (the F250 is an enormous pickup truck sold by Ford).

Unlike new vehicles with onboard computers and complicated
proprietary parts, Kei trucks are easy to modify and repair. In
northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, people fit them out with tracks to
drive on ice in winter. Some owners are almost cultish. "MotoCheez",
a mechanic from Connecticut, says his YouTube channel's popularity
soared after he started featuring his Kei truck.

As the demand grows, some worry that the loopholes that allow their
import and use might be closed. Dealers increasingly report trouble
getting the vehicles registered for road use, particularly in
north-eastern states. Safety concerns are part of the reason. Mr
Morgan admits his would be a "death trap" on a busy highway. But some
fans suspect an auto-industry stitch-up to keep out cheap Japanese
competition. If so, it would not be the first time.

Stay on top of American politics with Checks and Balance, our weekly
subscriber-only newsletter, which examines the state of American
democracy and the issues that matter to voters.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print
edition under the headline "What a Kei-motion"

United States April 22nd 2023

  * The Dominion lawsuit showed the limits of Fox's influence over
    its audience
  * Abortions have become 6% rarer since the end of Roe v Wade
  * Rural Americans are importing tiny Japanese pickup trucks
  * The Daniel Perry case shows the contradictions of gun enthusiasts
    in Texas
  * America's Supreme Court weighs religious accommodations in the
    workplace
  * American religion is becoming less exceptional
  * Detroit is working again

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From the April 22nd 2023 edition

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