Americans are buying more Kei trucks from Japan. Is this a sign of a growing ‘small truck’ movement? | CNN Business

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Measuring about half the length of a Ford F-150, Kei trucks almost seem like toys compared to your standard pickup. But for a car so small, you might be surprised by the massive following they garner.

Kei trucks, built to meet Japan’s light-duty vehicle regulations and known as “keitora” (meaning “light truck”) in Japan, are vehicles that are enjoying a resurgence in popularity in the auto market. Sales of Kei trucks have tripled in the past five years, with about 7,500 units imported in total last year, 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 pickup size and average price have skyrocketed after the pandemic, according to data from Cars.com.

But the cult following of these mini-trucks might be better measured by the ubiquity of the online spaces that owners and enthusiasts have created for themselves.

The Kei Trucks Appreciation Society Instagram page (@keitrucksas) sells Kei truck merchandise, from hoodies to stickers, and posts memes for its 95,000+ followers. On X, Kei truck fans share photos of mini trucks they spot in the wild.

There is even a dedicated Reddit forum where over 23,000 members exchange tips on truck maintenance and their experiences importing from Japan.

But discussions about the ever-changing legality of Kei trucks by state are also common.

Although federal regulations allow the importation of mini-trucks as long as they are 25 years old or older, state laws regarding on-road use and registration are uneven.

Most states do not have any specific regulations for Kei trucks, and so far only 19 states allow Kei trucks on public roads. In New York, where the laws are stricter, they cannot be licensed or registered.

But despite the limitations, demand for Kei trucks continues to grow.

Here’s what makes them so popular.

On a practical level, Kei trucks combine utility with affordability.

“People want the functionality of a truck, but they don’t want the size or to spend $60,000 for it,” said George Zotos, owner and CEO of Kei truck brokerage OIWA.co.

Pricing for the Ford F-150 Raptor, one of the most powerful models in the lineup, starts at $78,440. And the top-of-the-line 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country starts at $68,495.

According to Zotos, the listed price of canned Kei trucks ranges from $500 to $6,000. A study by CNN shows that they can sell for even more in good condition.

Tetsu Ichino, owner of Maruichi Japanese Grocery in Rockville, Maryland, told CNN 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 had never bought a car with a credit card, so this was a first for me,” he said.

Ichino, a lifelong truck enthusiast, sold his Toyota Tundra pickup in March because he wasn’t using it often enough, but then became disillusioned with how useful it was. He told CNN that while he had originally planned to buy another truck of similar size, he got caught up in the hype surrounding Kei trucks.

The engine in Ichino’s 1998 Honda Acty is smaller than a motorcycle’s, but he says it’s one of the most practical trucks around. And in Maryland, where there are no Kei-specific rules, he uses it primarily to haul supplies to his shop.

“Most of what I do, I could do with the Kei truck,” he said.

According to Andrew O’Bright, managing director of Japanese car import company JDM Imports CT, most mini-trucks have the same roughly 6-foot bed size as the F-150, Ford’s full-size pickup line known for its towing capacity and powerful engine.

“They have the utility of an F-150 while getting 30 to 50 miles per gallon, plus cheaper insurance and cheaper fuel,” he said. “Everything about them tells consumers that this is the way to go.”

But efficiency is not the only asset of Kei trucks. Their unique, toy-like appearance also gives them an innovative side.

“It’s hard to quantify, other than people are just fascinated by this micro vehicle,” Zotos said.

He also highlights the truck’s versatility as another reason why it appeals to such a wide audience.

“We’re talking about people who just turned 16 and are getting their driver’s license,” he said. “I had another client in Chicago who bought a truck just to wrap it for advertising purposes.”

The cute side of the Kei truck has proven beneficial to Melissa Torre, founder of Philadelphia-based soap and skin care company Vellum Street.

As a small business owner, Torre is no stranger to farmers markets where vendors are typically assigned a 10 x 10 space.

To avoid the hassle of transporting her goods from the parking lot to the market, she began looking for trucks in which to operate her business. But the milk vans and box trucks she had originally considered were much longer and she would need to purchase two spaces to set up her store.

During her research, Torre came across Kei trucks, which are less than 11 feet long.

“They fit perfectly into the allotted space I was using up until now. It was a perfect transition without having to increase my costs,” she said. “I can just pull up and set up right in the back of my truck. So it’s made my life a lot easier.”

She told CNN she even painted bubbles on her 1996 Daihatsu Hijet to match her company’s branding.

“People who might not have stopped to talk to me at markets will stop to talk about the truck. It’s a rolling billboard, but in a fun way,” she said. “Kids love it. Adults love it. People are always surprised that I drove it there.”

Smaller and simpler

But despite all their popularity, auto experts don’t see Kei trucks going mainstream.

“It’s hard to imagine,” said Mark Schirmer, director of corporate communications at Cox Automotive. He pointed to the failure of Mercedes’ Smart brand in the U.S. but its success in Japan as an example of smaller vehicles that work better in countries with smaller roads. Smart cars, small vehicles built with just two seats and minimal trunk space by Mercedes-Benz, were introduced in 2008 but left the U.S. market in 2019 due to weak sales.

“I think Americans are just used to space,” Schirmer added.

Nonprofit organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have been vocal in their opposition to the use of mini-trucks on the road, citing concerns about the safety of the vehicles at low speeds.

Still, he sees the popularity of more compact — even smaller — 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 with a 4.5-foot bed. But sales numbers reached 40,420 units in the first half of 2024, according to Ford data. And Edmunds data showed that Americans are trading in more midsize and full-size pickups for compacts than the other way around.

Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds, says rising truck costs, coupled with high interest rates, are at the heart of this shift in preference to smaller trucks.

“I think people have always loved the utility of trucks, but unfortunately when they discovered they loved trucks 10 years ago, the price started to skyrocket,” he said. “With all the features and add-ons, you see how much a truck has changed in the last 10 years, it’s nothing like it used to be.”

As competition within the auto industry intensifies and automakers race to offer more advanced features, Drury says the popularity of smaller vehicles signals a desire to return to simpler car designs.

“There’s a lot of technology,” he said. “At some point, there’s going to be too much of it and you’re going to turn away from it. You’re like, ‘I don’t need all this.’”