Rural Americans are importing tiny Japanese pickup trucks

Re:Rural Americans are importing tiny Japanese pickup trucks by Dalewyn on Thursday April 20, 2023 @07:48PM (#35648096)

>you can import cars all you want, they just need to follow US safety and emissions standards. These cars do not meet those requirements, so you can't import them.

This really is the crux of the issue, those kei cars simply do not meet US car regulations by the very nature of their small size and light weight.

Even in Japan, where they hail from, kei cars are a distinct category regulated separately from the rest of the car market with different build, safety, and emissions standards.

It's not some grand conspiracy to favor the domestic market or disenfranchise the used car market; the simple fact of the matter is those kei cars do not meet US regulations to be cars proper.

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Re:Rural Americans are importing tiny Japanese pickup trucks by Aeolun on Thursday April 20, 2023 @09:03PM (#35648619)

Nor do they meet Japanese regulations to be cars proper.

Trying to drive one on a highway (100kmph) strains the poor thing to it’s limit, and if you are ever in a crash with a real car you better prepare to be completely crumpled.

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Re:Rural Americans are importing tiny Japanese pickup trucks by PaulDavisThe1st on Friday April 21, 2023 @01:07AM (#35649993)

> Even in Japan, where they hail from, kei cars are a distinct category regulated separately from the rest of the car market with different build, safety, and emissions standards.

So, like farm vehicles in the USA?

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Re:Rural Americans are importing tiny Japanese pickup trucks by qbrass on Friday April 21, 2023 @02:36AM (#35650437)

It's more like mopeds to motorcycles. If your moped went slower than 25mph and had an engine smaller than 50cc, they were treated more like a bicycle than a motorcycle.

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