Toyota has announced that it will bring tiny KEI trucks to the American market in 2027. The KEI-01 ultra-compact utility truck — which has a 660cc 3-cylinder engine, 4-wheel drive, and a maximum speed of just 25mph — will be assembled at Toyota’s plant near Evansville, Ind. The right-hand drive trucks are just over 11 feet long and just under 5 feet wide. They would be ideal for small business owners and delivery fleets, farmers and ranchers, and for use on college campuses or corporate compounds. KEI cars — short for kei-jidosha, which means “light vehicles” in Japanese — first became popular in the 1950s as an economical means of transportation in Japan’s crowded cities. Industry and initial manufacturer estimates place the price of the KEI-01 at around $10,000 to $15,000.
