Overview
- Trump posted Friday that he has approved Japan‑style ultra‑compact cars for U.S. manufacturing and urged automakers to start building them.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he was directed to “clear the deck” with NHTSA for companies that want to make smaller cars, though he indicated such vehicles are probably not suited to freeways.
- The push accompanies a rollback of Biden‑era fuel‑economy targets that the White House frames as an affordability measure for new vehicles.
- Most existing kei models do not meet U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, several states restrict registration of similar imports, and import tariffs complicate low‑cost offerings.
- Automakers have not announced U.S. production plans, and analysts and safety advocates question both commercial viability and environmental impacts under the current policy framework.