President Donald Trump instructed transportation regulators to expedite approval of ultra-compact vehicles for US production, signaling a potential shift in federal policy that could introduce a category of cars largely absent from American roads.
“I have just approved TINY CARS to be built in America,” Trump wrote Friday on his Truth Social platform after returning from Japan. “Manufacturers have long wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries.”
The directive comes one day after the president hosted executives from Ford Motor Co., Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. at the White House.
The move targets Japan’s famous ‘kei car’ segment, which limits dimensions to 3,400 millimeters in length, 1,480 millimeters in width and 2,000 millimeters in height, with engine output capped at 64 horsepower.
Trump specified the vehicles could employ any powertrain. “They can be propelled by gasoline, electric, or hybrid,” he wrote, describing the cars as part of “the very near future.”
“These cars of the very near future are inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient and, quite simply, AMAZING!!!” Trump added. “START BUILDING THEM NOW!”
Current US safety regulations, particularly Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, effectively prohibit such vehicles from sale.
The standards impose crash-test requirements and equipment mandates that small-format cars typically cannot meet without substantial redesign.
Several states have moved to restrict even imported kei cars, with Georgia, Oregon and Vermont prohibiting their registration citing safety concerns.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy received authorization to approve production, though the regulatory pathway remains unclear.
During Thursday’s Oval Office meeting, Trump referenced observations from recent travel.
“If you go to Japan, where I just left, if you go to South Korea, Malaysia and other countries, they have a very small car, sort of like the Beetle used to be with Volkswagen,” he said.
Trump characterized the vehicles as “very small” and “really cute,” questioning why US manufacturers face restrictions. “I’ve authorized the secretary to immediately approve the production of those cars,” he said.
He credited Japanese automakers for doing “a beautiful job” with compact vehicles, adding: “but we’re not allowed to make them in this country and I think we’re going to do very well with those cars, so we’re going to approve those cars.”
China’s BYD recently unveiled its first kei car at the Japan Mobility Show, marking the company’s initial model developed exclusively for a single market.
The US market remains dominated by larger vehicles, with light trucks comprising roughly 80% of new vehicle sales.
