Toyota to bring mini trucks to US market

Toyota Motor said ​on Tuesday it will bring ​its ultra-compact mini KEI ‌trucks to ​the US market for fleet customers starting in the second half of 2027 as part of ‌a limited rollout after President Donald Trump encouraged the move.

A third of the 3.7 million new cars sold in Japan last year were mini, or "kei", ‌cars — tiny vehicles that are not produced by American automakers. The KEI-01, ‌which has a 660 cc three-cylinder engine and four-wheel drive, will be assembled at Toyota's plant in Indiana. Toyota will add 50 jobs and invest $34 million in the project. The ⁠right-hand-drive ​trucks measure just ⁠over 11 feet (3.35 m) in length and under 5 feet in width with ⁠a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour (40 kph).

Toyota said the vehicle is ​designed to comply with federal low-speed vehicle safety requirements and initial distribution will ⁠focus on fleet customers rather than retail sales. Toyota also said it is relaunching ⁠its ​Scion in the US. Trump wanted kei cars in the United States but has said he wants them to be assembled domestically.

Toyota ⁠said it may consider expanding availability to limited retail sales at a later ⁠date. Toyota said the ⁠kei trucks could be used by small business owners, delivery fleets, farmers and ranchers as well as cities, universities ‌and ‌corporate campuses.