Overview
- Trump posted that he has approved ultra‑compact “tiny cars” for U.S. production and authorized Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to remove barriers, referencing Japanese kei‑style vehicles.
- USDOT is coordinating with NHTSA to “clear the deck,” and Duffy said the cars would likely be suited to dense cities and are probably not for freeways.
- Most kei‑type models do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in their current form, while federal import rules and several state registration limits further constrain their use.
- The push is linked to a rollback of Biden‑era fuel‑economy standards, with USDOT projecting $109 billion in five‑year savings and about $1,000 lower average vehicle prices, a claim contested on safety and climate grounds.
- No automaker has confirmed plans to build such cars in the U.S., and analysts cite retooling costs, tariffs such as the chicken tax, and weak demand for ultra‑small vehicles.