Banning kei trucks is like banning manual mowers because the blades are sharp. The logic makes no sense I feel like 😂. The silliest thing government can do is focus on such a NICHE thing with such vague reasons why. It’s stuff like this that opens up the rumor mill of “is it lobbyists?”, “is it GM / Ford?”, when really it’s a few old folks that are just bored and have the power to do things, so they do. Kei trucks are to so many people an actual, viable daily driver. It’s efficient, it’s compact, and it works. Maybe I’m wrong in todays tin hat thoughts, so let me know below 🎉 Oh, and subscribe if you enjoy this kinda content. It’s new for me!
Nonsense like this just goes to show that "Land of the Free" has always been a nice little lie we tell ourselves to pretend we're special as a country.
@@Eduardo_Espinoza them going at the same speed does the same damage what you said makes zero sense that’s like saying I would rather be hit by a pistol than a rifle
@@key2shawn154what? They don't do the same damage just bc the same speed. More flexible, cheaper material, and angles definitely matter absorbing and redirecting impact (modern cars sweep and throw you up and over to do that or the bumpers fold, hood collapses, and hinges explode throwing the hood up to soften impact for struck pedastrians.). It's the reason why cars all look the same now and people are actually surviving now being hit by vehicles instead of just exploding or being riped in half like the 60-70s. As for the pistol vs rifle yes id rather get shot by a small caliber than a damn rifle b/c I got better odds of surviving.
@@MrSmexy702 Also a matter of mass. Kei trucks aren't known for their mass. It's just what, 1,000 kg of sheet metal and engine? Current pickups are at least 3x the mass
Lone Star Kei here. We're the group that fought the ban and won in Texas. We are not done fighting these arbitrary bans and would love to work with you on furthering our agenda!
Everythingwheeled has been a huge advocate for the community here, Ray went to Boston and spoke to the DOT reps. (They looked mildly bored, because they are all just pencil pushers that are only interested in tax revenue. They should really look at how much they will be losing across the state. The second mine is off the road, there is no more excise tax, inspection, or registration. Montana will take my money just fine.
Look at the 100 percent tax with BYD. Even at a 100 percent import tax it is still cheaper than a base model 3. I wanted a ford ranger hybrid but the dealer marked them up to $45,000 for what listed as a base at $26,000 mini truck.
Americans weren't even buying the old Rangers and greatly preferred to buy F-150s, yet you think that they're going to buy these ridiculously dangerous kei trucks? That doesn't make any sense.
@@PistonAvatarGuy Well the fact these imported Kei trucks have customers means there is actually demand for it. What I have seen and read, these Kei trucks are more in demand for commercial work such as for farming and other things for just transporting things, many not for commuting. And that's actually what these are Kei truck originally designed for, just pure utility. In Japan, consumers don't buy these just to use as commuter car, they have kei cars for that market. Unless they are looking for something cheap to buy with some utility in used market.
@@kornkernel2232 You're talking about hundreds, maybe thousands of people, and most seem to just buy them as toys, not for any sort of real purpose. If someone needs a small vehicle for use on a farm, they can buy golf cart trucks, or utility side-by-sides, or 4 wheelers, as they don't need to be road legal. The only reason why these old kei trucks are cheap is because they're used and they're old, they wouldn't be so inexpensive if people were buying them new.
Fuel efficient: ✔️ Productivity workhorse: ✔️ Safer than motorcycles: ✔️ Cheap to get: ✔️ Cheap to maintain: ✔️ Perfect for farm and big city transport (Or any roads below 70mph): ✔️ Government: YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT 😡
Yup Yet instead of telling these companies to figure it out or to actually bother learning how to compete with another company other than themselves they coddle US automakers like a spoiled child.
@@clockwork3494it’s the CAFE standards, auto makers can’t make anything but giant cars because small vehicles have incredibly unrealistic MPG requirements
The goal is to make transportation as expensive as possible so the average person can't afford it. It has nothing to do with safety or the environment.
Someone is pushing it. People who have no interest in cars don't just suddenly take an interest unless they are being told to. Likely by a company with an agenda to push.
Hi! I work in a state legislature in one of the states that have fought back. It’s literally this. Lobbyists have showed up to our office to encourage us to ban them. This is how almost every seemingly random law gets done-someone pays people to show up to offices and talk about how “critical” it is. A lot of stuff never makes it out of this stage, but that’s kinda the problem. We hear so much insanity that anything as seemingly in touch with reality as “these real trucks that actually exist are too little and too slow to be safe” seems credible after the fifth variation of how ‘cell towers give you double adhd’ or ‘fracking actually replenishes ground water with pure, filtered water.’ Luckily, my legislator knows I love cars and told them they’d have to convince me first before she’d take a meeting with them. I am very fortunate that she always wants to review independent assessments and research, but not all electeds operate that way. Sadly, too many legislators convince themselves they’re experts on everything. Mostly because lobbyists get paid a great deal to convince them that they are. You hear that every day for years and years and you might start to believe it. What makes it worse is it’s often impossible to know who is behind the lobbyists. Sure, they give you a card and a firm, but post Citizen’s United and the spree of state legislation it opened the door for, it’s often simply not possible to trace the money more than 1-2 steps, ending at a company that may as well just name itself “Dark Money Cutout Inc.” Personally, I think it’s the Big 3 automakers, maybe them and some others, possibly auto lenders and even debt collectors. They want to keep selling $90k trucks you can’t repair that are designed to fail in like 60,000 miles at insane monthly payments and interests.
Why spend $15,000 or more on an ATV that doesn't have AC and isn't enclosed when you can import a Kei truck that is equally as capable, has a larger bed, is fully enclosed, and costs less than $5,000 total. This is exactly what is happening.
If US manufacturers made actual smaller, inexpensive, more fuel efficient pickups for people to use for work and drive, like the old S-10s or Rangers, then people wouldn’t be importing Kei trucks. Instead we get the oversized, bloated, 3 ton, $100K pickups for soccer moms and mall bros.
if you have a look in all my local dealerships you will not find a single regular can nor even an extended cab. Every single one is a crew cab. They are all huge monsters. If you want a reg cab you'd have to order from the factory. Even the tacoma and frontier is not available here (Canada) in extended cab - only crew cab. Trucks are just too big.
The problem is they can't build smaller without having issues with CAFE. The bigger the foorprint of a vehicle the more its allowed to emit pollutants without a fine. This why all vehicles, especially trucks, keep getting bigger and bigger.
The US EPA forced small trucks off the market for reasons of gas mileage. One commenter almost got it right below... the trucks with greater wheelbase and wheel track (width between the wheels) are held to a lower standard. Smaller trucks had to meet ridiculously unrealistic gas mileage standards, but larger trucks did not. Voila-- you get a market full of fullsize trucks that get worse mileage than small trucks, and it is the fuel economy standards that did it. CAFE is a disaster. It's ruining the reliability of modern vehicles. It's the reason behind wet timing belts and super thin motor oils, neither of which is a particularly good idea when it comes to longevity. The unstated goal is to push people into EVs without actually voicing a ban. They know that a ban on sales nationally will not fly, so they're doing it incrementally through the back door. Kei trucks manage to get in because they're old.
No, its because most politicians are bought by and win their elections because of lobbies and PACs. You have the illusion of democracy you have an oligarchy.
The elderly politicians know that the lobbyist promised to come buy their wife's arts and crafts if he does the necessary and saves the world from the evil kei truck.
@@kennygaming208you can, but how often does that do much of anything substantial. Half the time they just find a way around it to either do it with no vote or in a round about way - like banning X thing because it happens to need Y to work or something
Out of all things we're going after kei trucks? What are people's obsession with the hatred of a compact utility truck like who actually puts time into these things? Bloat jobs have gotten way too out of hand
That stinks as something big pickup truck manufacturers would come up with so they don't lose sells. Then again the amount of those trucks being imported cant be that big? Perhaps they are afraid the trend will catch on as those small trucks are way more practical in most applications.
Because it's dangerous, thanks to the light trucks that are 3 times bigger and heavier. With this logic, you kinda understand the ban, because you have almost 0 chance of surviving a head on crash with said light truck. While the Kei trucks are popular, because people use them as trucks, not mom mobiles.
@bzs187 then why not ban motorcycles, they are far more dangerous to the rider. That logic makes zero sense. It's just about domestic mfg'ers feeling threatened because Theres a much cheaper alternative than big gas guzzling trucks we have now.
@@bzs187 people that drive little corolla's and Yaris' are equally as screwed as kei truck drivers. The answer to making big dangerous pickup's isn't more big pickups.
It is absolute madness that, here in Georgia, I can't register a Kei (RIP dreams of having my own Mitsubishi Bravo), but if I want to race a logging truck in a side by side that is A-OK.
@@AlexandarHullRichter The law precludes "vehicles made for on-road use, regardless of whether such on-road use was intended for highways within Georgia or elsewhere". Also, you can only register side by sides built after 2001, so even if I could convince them that, for example, a Suzuki Carry 4x4 was obviously only meant to go off-road it would be too new to pass the federal 25 year import law. (At least for a couple more years) 😂😭
As a Maine resident, it's wild right now. Even non Kei-Trucks are having an issue getting regged in state now. Shout out to my local DMV lady who literally went in to a 2 hour war for me with the state to get my Cedric regged.
13:50minutes in is the point of why they’re banning KEI trucks: Someone got paid to pass a recommendation so that people have no choice but to buy the biggest, least energy efficient vehicles possible to keep American car manufacturers, oil companies, insurance providers in business, period.
And its dumb because most people that already drive big trucks would still keep buying them because they have more towing capacity and weight limits with more power. Kei trucks only a appeal to small niche section of truck owners
@@ST4X-0N-ST4X Not wrong there I prefer my 1991 F150 with a 300ci straight six cylinder mated to a 5 speed manual to lug around my tools and its been faithful. I'm from Michigan and KEI trucks always been banned since the 90s. I made do buying other used cars and trucks why this generation cannot seem to cope with that is a mystery to me.
@@ST4X-0N-ST4X The salesmen are doing their jobs well, I see. The *real* niche are the F-150+ buyers, the people tricked into thinking they need huge towing capacity and weight limits when it's either a rare circumstance or a "maybe someday" thing for most of them. Far, far more often I see these massive trucks being treated with tender care, as giant toys to show off with. Not a fleck of dirt on them. The people who genuinely need such capability are few and far between, and their trucks will show it. The battle damage proves you're not just playing dress-up. But that's the culture issue we face here - these trucks are largely sold on fantasy, not reality. People don't need that power. People are CONVINCED they need it, but they largely don't. The car lobby knows the threat the truck market faces from customers who just want the utility of a large bed to move stuff around, and don't want it to be impossible to maneuver in the city. They're playing around with bringing back "small" pickups like the Maverick - and surprise - they can't make them fast enough to keep on their lots! That's even though they still have a long way to go before they're even in the ballpark of how affordable, small, or functional Kei trucks are.
Its so fucking ironic how the safety topic is always about the ones inside the vehicle and never about the ones outside of it, mf the ones outside *should* be priority 😂
I had actually been saving & planning on purchasing a Subaru Sambar this year, but then GA had to go and pass the Kei truck ban that went into effect in December of last year. I had a long discussion with the tax commissioner regarding it and he basically gave the whole spiel about that they were banned for being dangerous. Even after pointing out that they are no less dangerous than people riding around in VW Bugs/Beetles or cab forward truck, or a minivan/van, all he could tell me was these are just the rules from the state and they have to abide by them. Luckily, the Texas law just got overturned this year and enthusiasts in GA are using the Texas legislation as a basis to overturn the rule in other states (including Georgia).
I hope they get it reversed. Trying to do the same, but was told they are not DOT compliant ABs don’t pass their safety requirements so Ga won’t allow them.
They’re old, but reliable. They’re taking away from the mortgage payment truck salesmen and they’re lobbying to get them banned so they can sell their mortgage trucks. That’s the way I see it anyways.
@@key2shawn154 The people that sell those old Toyota trucks are on some sort of drug for what they ask for them. They have major structural rust issues. Pretty much any model before 2013 at this point could have it unless it never touched salt or mud. Granted some years are more easily repair than others, but people still want $9800 for one with 230k and looks like it got hit by a train. Sorry ya’ll but that’s some used pu💰💰y. It’s not the gem you think it is anymore. It was before you ran it down a hill, into a lake, and drove it across country 99 times…
@@key2shawn154 Because metaphorically, they have to boil the frog slowly. If the states jump straight to trying to ban older trucks or older vehicles in general, that is going to raise concerns from most people. But if they start out with banning old imported trucks and vehicles, something that only a select few people would ever do, it will go mostly unnoticed. There is also a finite amount of used vehicles in the US. If more get imported, the number goes up drastically and the US automakers do not like that. Make no mistake: on our current track the government will one day try to ban all old vehicles under the guise of either safety or emission concerns. You WILL go into debt for a car and you will like it. You WILL own nothing and you will be happy.
@@Neipalm that’s what I don’t understand though how are they gonna ban all old vehicles that are perfectly fine and can easily be rebuilt they can’t just force people to buy electric even if they try to force only electric vehicle sales plus it’s not gonna stop semi trucks because the electric versions can’t handle constant use like engine vehicles
@@billbob4856 I understand that I don’t understand trying to sell a old truck that was mass produced and with the amount of damage most of them have they should deduct the price based on the amount of damage and rust is shouldn’t be nowhere near a thousand
$40k IF you can find it. Average sale price for a truck is $70k now. Just do the math on how many times you can rent a Uhaul for $70k and you find out owning a pickup truck no longer makes sense.
It’s funny watching these miniature trucks get banned while also watching Side by Sides get the green light to be registered for the street.. It’s absolutely backwards
@@jamesgizasson A brand new kei truck can easily go for just as much if not more once its imported into the US. It's just that most people don't even know they can import the kei trucks themselves(with a ton of legal restrictions).
@Jack-yl7cc True, but the government doesn't get as much of that money. If they can't profit from it, they're likely to forbid it. Honestly, you can import an old diesel Landcruiser or G-wagon for the same price, and it will be a fully registered vehicle! It just won't be in very nice shape. :3
kei trucks are meant for small slow roads. that isnt the norm in america, if someone wanted one as a farm truck no one would or has stopped anyone from getting one.
@@Brandon_Biden the truck isn’t allowed since you likely can’t insure it since they have little to offer in terms of safety. It’s not being singled out, it just doesn’t meet the requirements. The whole point of my initial post is that farm trucks don’t have to be insured, and Boston isn’t a farm, and requires vehicles to have a level of insurance to be driven on its roads. Maybe around Boston there is a carve out, where I live they are flat out uninsurable.
@@psd.3144 The only way those trucks can be imported is if they fall under the 25 year rule. Therefore, it's not applicable to modern safety regs. Same way you can drive a 1970 peugot or 1992 rhd Toyota supra on American roads. The issue of safety is a farce, which is why I brought up the cybertruck. That vehicle is a danger to every pedestrian and passenger vehicle on the road today. In a city like Boston, we should be banning behemoth ego haulers like the cybertruck for safety reasons, not kei trucks. Plus, I just like seeing them.
We used to own a late 70s Ferrari 308 GTS. It's VIN was only four digits. It used to drive me batshit with California DMV because they kept telling me that that VIN belonged to a trailer. Such a pain to renew the registration and even worse when I lost the pink slip and we were selling it 10 years ago. I spent hours at DMV trying to get a replacement, all at no avail. They refused to believe me that a vehicle could have a 4-digit VIN, even with the vehicle registration paperwork in my hand and in front of their face. Fortunately, I did eventually find the pink slip and was able to transfer title to the new owner.
What I don’t understand is why they’re saying k trucks are unsafe while we have people with jeep wranglers that take their doors off and the government is saying “yea that’s ok.. that’s TOTALLY SAFE”
Those jeeps have huge payments, guzzle gas and are high to insure. I think that’s what they want. The man don’t want us to have access to a cheap easy to fix and cheap to insure vehicles. They don’t want simple. Simple gives us more free time and more time to live and think. That’s not acceptable
@@OryxAU mine goes 72 mph, and was fully registered and inspected every year before I bought it and imported it. What’s the speed limitation on them, that the Japanese government sets? I have a feeling that’s a he said she said thing
Most things in America are run by lobby groups, start your own. Get together with other car enthusiasts and lobby. It's cheaper than you think to buy a politician 👍
Still a combined lobby of individuals with their best interests at hart still doesn’t have millions compared to corpies who can burn billions of dollars.
@@toothinm9paste no it's way cheaper than you think. Some elections in the US have been bought for 15k or less. The massive Christian super pack pays 50k to people like ted Cruz to ban adult content and they do exactly what they say. A RUclipsr can buy a local election today. It's cheaper than you think.
lol with what money. These people won’t even buy the catted version of a downpipe. The average car enthusiast buys the most expensive car they can and then slaps on the cheapest mods they can quality for through Affirm
Here in NC we have to thank Mayberry Mini Trucks for making it legal for us to drive kai trucks. He fought for years and had to drive his trucks to the capital for lawmakers to get it that they were safe to drive on the road.
Sorry if you mention this before the end of the video, but look up the Chicken Tax of 1964. Any time you threaten big automakers in the US, they put their money wherever they can to shut it down. If it wasn't for that tax passed in 1964, the commercial vehicle landscape in the country would be completely different.
It's pretty ironic isn't it? American companies are extremely competitive until it comes time to compete. Then they just get the government to create a set of circumstances that give them an unfair advantage over anyone who tries to make something better, so the American consumer is stuck buying their mediocre garbage. Just ask Preston Tucker.
Ehh if you do further research you’d see the chicken tax was more like the final nail in the coffin. Not much, if anything, would have changed without it.
So...not sure why no one is bringing this up - Kei Trucks are super easy to retrofit into a Mobile home with better gas mileage than an RV. Homelessness is on the rise, God forbid people with bad credit have ANY kind of avenue to afford housing. They just want more people to become dependent on public services to where you literally can't do anything without signing some "Terms of Service".
I bought one to help out around the property. It does dump runs, lumber pick up and laying down gravel on my laneway. I also use it for just going into town to pick up stuff. It is a 2005 Hijet heavy dump. They are legal to drive on the road in Canada and you can import them if they are 15 years or older. I drove it for 3 hours on the main highways when I picked it up earlier this summer. It did just fine keeping the speed limit. It certainly feels safer then when I'm on my motorcycle. It helped me with my decision to get a side by side or a small pickup. And it was cheaper than both. They solve a problem many people have. I don't see how that could be a problem for anyone else.
Actually , THAT is NOT a KEI vehicle. KEI vehicles have very specific specifications for fuel economy , such as ▪︎max. length ~11' ▪︎ max. engine 660cc ▪︎ max. wgt. ~1100# (?) Your Heavy Dump is a nice , more compact workhorse , but is by no means in the KEI class. Such trucks are also quite desireable tho 👍 . ( fyi : it's KEI not K , folks. KEI is an abbrevition or acronym regarding fuel efficiency ( i think ; don't recall , it's been years 🙂 ) GOOD LUCK to all ! ! ! FIGHT ✊🏻 FIGHT 👊🏻 FIGHT 🤜🏻
One, it's not a law. It's an administrative decision. Second, in virtually every state, you have administrative recourse from any negative action by the DMV. So likely, none of these bans are legal. Also, most states have administrative procedure acts that regulate agency rule making. BTW, vehicle registrations are under state, not federal regulation. Kei truck owner and practicing lawyer, in CT where Kei trucks are still legal.
The motorcycle argument is crucial. America at some point forgot that safety is just as much an individual responsibility as much as it is a systemic responsibility. We see this plagued everywhere now in America from parenting to how we work. A motorcycle is one of the few areas that we have maintained the correct balance of individual responsibility and systemic responsibility. Even though I never plan to own a Kei truck, these ruling can effect everything. What is stopping these rulings from banning everything that isn't an American truck/SUV in the future? This is a big problem.
I live in Oregon where Kei Trucks are specifically banned. It's absolutely wild that I'm not allowed to purchase one of those, but I'm being strongarmed into having to purchase a big truck I don't need that gets terrible mileage. Someone is more likely to die in an accident because of the size and it's worse for the environment than a kei truck. I wouldn't be surprised if some car maker is lining pockets to push these through to sell more trucks people don't want.
sorry to hear that man, best thing to do imo is to buy a small truck from the 80's to early 2000's and run with it. If you're worried about rust look in the CA,AZ,NV,NM market... take a trip, enjoy your small truck. Just be ready to perform the typical maintenance yourself to keep costs down but you really can't go wrong with any small truck from that time frame, The only ones i would be wary of are 2.8 s10/s15 trucks or 3.0 Rangers. Screw the modern truck market, buy something old but good.
Born and raised Masshole here. Whenever you see something being banned it's because A. Someone said something wrong in a movie (i.e. John McClane calling a Glock 17 a "porcelain gun" that can get past metal detectors hence Glocks are illegal in Massachusetts) or B. A lobby group complained. In Massachusetts I would hazard that car dealerships with 900 day supply of multi-ton $90K SUVs and trucks don't want to compete with $10K KEI trucks.
@@key2shawn154 a bigger vehicle will 100% all the time pollute more than a smaller vehicle, bigger mass needs more power to move, power needs energy. Bigger = more power= more energy if you don’t want to accept that you’re just in denial, good luck walking around life blindfolded
Kei trucks have full size beds. Some huge US crew cab trucks are much larger but have much smaller beds. It's an optical illusion. People assume tiny kei trucks have small beds but they don't. They're rated at 350 kg cargo capacity but I use mine as a half tone pickup and people routinely put a ton in these little trucks if they are going slow. Kei trucks are little workhorses. No wheel wells taking up cargo space, either.
Kei truck is probably no more or less safe than a VM Bus I drove around in the 1970s. In either case, only 1/16 of an inch of steel between you and god. PS - rented a camper version in Japan and had a blast.
The car companies want to sell a $40-$50k with a damn infotainment system and all the things that a working man can’t care less about, give us a simple truck for work for less money of let us import them 😡
This whole thing is so anti-"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" as to be un-American. It's also anti-logic. Imagine if we all chose to drive Model Ts. Or if they applied the same safety reasoning to motorcycles or bicycles, SxS, or golf carts, or whatever else. It's nonsense. I complain about a lot of stuff we suffer with here in Florida, but there might not be a more automotively free place to build, own, and drive in the US.
Freedom from government regulation that directly increases income inequality used to be a stable of Democratic liberalism only a decade ago. Now, you're right wing if you want 90s-2000s liberalism. Modern "liberalism" is "make life safer for the rich who can afford it, and screw poor people who will end up being even more unsafe because now modern safe cars are too expensive". It's so weird.
Massachusetts actually just unbanned them. They claimed after testing safety they decided they're fine but I'm pretty sure it was due to public outrage, so thank you for fighting the good fight.
Sounds like y'all should just start saying f it and drive completely unregistered cars what are they gonna do? I think mass officials have bigger things to worry about then go after every single mass resident driving an unregistered vehicle.
My question would be: Who is loosing money by people buying these cheap Kei trucks rather than the overpriced behemoths? Who is really behind the lobby?
Car enthusiasts need to group together and build a lobbying group. I'll be the first to donate. We just need a face or a group of faces we trust to put the donations behind.
*Yes, a grassroots lobbying effort is sorely needed. You are describing the reason SEMA was founded in 1963. Problem is SEMA forgot what their purpose truly is.*
I am going on a conspiracy theorist rant but here goes... Automobile companies have pushed for bigger is always better mentality here in the United States once the chicken tax came into effect and we no longer got small trucks because "they weren't selling" it gave automobile manufacturers free reign to build bigger trucks and charge a premium on them. I believe that people have grown tired of this and they are looking for other options and that is why more people are starting to sway into buying a kei truck. I think this poses a threat to United States sales because we found the loophole to bring a form of a light truck back to the States. It isn't because of people that don't know what they're talking about or making the rules per say. I think it's people influencing people that don't know what they're talking about to change the rules so that way they do not get hurt in the pockets. Auto manufacturers are finding loopholes like using Nikki and the influence that her administration has to manipulate the standings of the rules. And in order to make something like this work they had to start in places where It's a little under the radar hence why they didn't start in a place like Texas or Tennessee or Pennsylvania they started in Maine out of all places and now Massachusetts It's the beginning of getting a foothold into the system so that way other states can be manipulated by the corporate dollar to say "look it works over there so let's try it over here ". I wouldn't doubt that Ms. Bachelder got a little kick back from starting such a rule. But hey I am just spit-balling here.
So...Let me see if I have this straight. My 1965 Econoline pickup with its cabover design, 2 wheel drive, drum brakes no seatbelts from the factory and straight axle in the front is perfectly legal, but a 1990's Kei truck with better brakes, 4 wheel drive, seatbelts with shoulder belts and much more safety equipment is illegal. Got it.
American companies are dropping their car models and are focusing on large trucks and SUVs. Kei trucks are really kicking them in the nuts if the market tends to call for more small trucks
How much do you want to bet that the major common factors in the U.S. are donating a bunch of money to the AAMVA? My logic on this being that selling people gigantic trucks with way too many features is a lot more profitable than selling someone a small cheap truck. They don't want to have to compete with people selling affordable small trucks.
depends on your perspective. The bigger trucks have more crumple zones, they have more safety features, better air bags. Meanwhile if the kei truck crashes, you are the crumple zone. However you are far less likely to crash a kei truck, and as you said they're often used at much lower speeds. meanwhile larger trucks mow down kids all the time because you literally can't see 10 feet infront of yourself because they're so tall. Either way motorcycles being legal throws a wrench into the safety argument.
@@grandsome1 depends on the crash. most crashes are between two vehicles, and two big vehicles hitting each other will be safer than two small vehicles hitting each other. but you could also argue that two smaller vehicles are much less likely to hit each other at all.
They aren't rejecting renewals and revoking titles yet. However it is hit and miss with registration of any JDM vehicles because the RMV clerk sees Japanese papers and assumes they're the same. They recently rejected BMWs from Japan with a full 17 digit vin. People have been unable to transfer existing MA title kei trucks to a different owner.
90% of pickup unsafe factor is actually high bonnet. Due to that during pedestrian impact way more energy is transfered to the person being hit. That's not me talking. That is backed by research. Unfortunately kei trucks are fairly similar in that aspect. That being said they are usually being driven slower and have better visibility probably so my best bet is they would be safer that way.
@@hagestad Worked on a 9000+ Chevy pickup... the hood DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO BE THAT HIGH!!! There was about a 1-2 ft of dead space above the engine in the engine compartment... Made it a chore to work on too!!!
@@scottjs5207 Exactly. Its all for looks sake. Modern engines can be half that height easy. If you go for v6 it will fit under the windshield literally and rest of the space is not really needed. Best example are sports cars like ferrari 812 for example. Half of that 6.5 v12 is under the windshield and the car itself is super low.
Kei trucks are low carbon footprint, that has always been the point of them. Cheap to build and cheap to run. It makes zero sense to ban them, then turn around and say a 3.5 ton cybertruck is perfectly fine. The same Cybertruck that will never get approval in Europe because it doesn't meet the safety requirements. America just keeps getting dumber.
Its been confirmed that us automakers are behind this! My recommendation, start tag swapping/ vin swapping the kei vans and cars with the trucks. And also register as a side by side
When I had heard of this law, I immediately thought it was big American companies ford dodge etc worried about people buying kei trucks and putting them out of 3% market share cos ma profits, but this is just assinine
I'm sure they're involved, but I think it's also a lot of "Karening" from state officials trying to "look busy" to justify their positions... Sad reality of our politics, they really should be doing as little as possible; but to justify their positions, huge budgeting, and looking for reelections... they have to always be "doing something" But a true testament to wiping out the problems we have in American automotive, is removing the CAFE restrictions; second chicken tax; third deposing "rules" since they're not laws. Similarly to how gun "laws" work these days, some third party just invents a "rule" and starts trying to enforce it as law... despite not such law ever having been passed at the state or federal level, no just "it's a rule" - literally just making shit up and telling you to obey it.
It's not just "old timer politicians" it's special interest groups, auto/UTV manufacturers lobbying to ban these affordable utilitarian relatively available vehicles...
About 2 months ago here in Australia our government did a similar thing.. they released a new import legislation at i kid you not as i'm in contact with a couple import agencies here.. 3:59pm on a Friday Literally the minute before that department closed down for the week, Bam 12 Kei Car models banned. And at that stage the law was to also de register any of those banned Kei cars that were already here (Mine included) Obviously the Kei car community went in to melt down along with the Import Agencies. As we couldn't even get any real info on it until the monday.. Monday rolled around and the import guys were able to get a meeting sorted with the department for the Wednesday. After the meeting the gov banned another 7 Kei models but allowed all currently registered Kei cars to stay registered, and any Kei car already purchased in japan with already submited paperwork or on a boat over here to continue and be allowed to be registered. A week later they added another 6 models. Just out of nowhere... And to give you an idea of how crazy it is.. In Australia you can't import a Daihatsu Copen GR Sport 2021-22 But you can import a Daihatsu Copen, Copen Xplay or Copen Robe 2015-2024 What's the difference on the GR Sport model you ask? Visual, nothing but an apperance package. It's insane, makes no sense and you're right. For the amount of Kei cars actually being imported, why make all this fuss... Someone is behind it for sure. Esecially in today's world where everyone is eco consious. We should be embracing these cars more than ever!
They only do this because the enthusiast group is small enough that there wont be 20 people protesting outside their doors the next day. The crazy thing is companies lobbying to crap on people who aren't exactly in the market for what they're selling either. (Those with the Kei-truck mindset are just going to look for some other used and old utility vehicle.)
There should be a system in Japan for changing the VIN to 17 digits to get rid of these trucks. I think US truck makers probably have a hand in it because they know it will hurt their sales.
Michigan government: kei trucks are unsafe, they should be illegal ALSO MICHIGAN GOVERNMENT: *literally having a Model T as a current active government vehicle I have a problem with the government saying *this* unsafe old vehicle is okay, but *that* unsafe old vehicle isn't. I'd say something from the 90s with lights, a horn, windshield, roof, doors, fuel injection, heat, AC, and windows, that can go 60 on the highway is far safer than something like a Model T, or a Model A, or anything from the 70s back, regardless where it comes from
Michigan is also the state that has no inspections for regular cars and I always see cars halfway rotted to the earth and structurally unsound sporting some nice clean Michigan plates….
I live in Maine. I see these trucks with plates all the time. We have farm truck rust buckets with plows and no brakes and antique auto winter beater Flinstone mobiles. The safest 25+ year old vehicles we have on the road are mini trucks.
If the government is really on our side and looking out what is best for us then they need to ban fast food/processed food and have real food being served to the public.
I suspect that insurance companies have a lot to do with it, ever notice that you know exactly who Jake from state farm is, and Lemu emu and Doug are, and "Mayhem, like me" Guy are ? How much do you think they spend on lobbying ????? You are spot on about Kei trucks being limited to use off of Interstate / Freeways, (55 mph or less) makes perfect sense. The absurdity of "safety" considering 15 year olds can legally ride mopeds, and 18 year old can ride liter bikes, legally, too, is mind boggling. A co-worker had a minor spill on his motorcycle, sprained his wrist, got 3 stitches, his medical insurance won't cover it, his motorcycle insurance won't cover his medical, because he dropped it, and he footing all the expenses, despite have double coverage. Insurance companies government sanctioned extortion.
3 weeks ago I saw the department of highways using a kei truck as a work vehicle to haul grass mowing equip. (Canada) Not banned here and can import 15 year old Japanese models.
If motorcycles are "safe enough", EVERY vehicle capable of minimum roadway speed is "safe enough". An f150 won't know the difference between a kei truck and a Nissan versa.
I wonder if it's crossed the mind of anyone in government that kei cars from the 90s are essentially level with a Geo Metro. In fact, some of them make even more power stock than a Geo Metro. But government isn't going after Geos to make them illegal because they are American. Guarantee truck manufacturers are cool with banning kei trucks because some people have realized that a kei truck has all the utility they need in a truck, for like $5000, and the big 3 are scared it'll keep people from buying their behemoth gas guzzlers
@bensmith4563 which makes it even funnier. I just said American because "Geo" is the rebadge, but yeah. Tiny wimpy Suzuki with America scribbled in crayon? Totally okay. Tiny wimpy Suzuki with truck bed they didn't sell here at the same time? Straight to jail
@Twinspinner I know it the government for you I don't think most of them especially the employees of the beuracrcy know the difference between up and down
I would recommend using the term "limited access highway" rather than just "highway" for that argument at around 15:13... the way that 49 CFR and 49 USC (the transportation portions of the federal regulations) are written, all public roads are officially labeled as "public highways"
@DB-sd3cw not at all, for one it's not even a real dog breed,it's whatever looks kind of similar that can range from 44lbs to 90lbs and can be any color coat or body shape as long as it has a boxy head and also if you ban a breed people will just keep breeding it and if they don't, they will just be replaced with another breed, I'd prefer pitbulls roaming as strays than stray rottweilers or German Shepard's, banning pitbulls is like banning crime or banning idiots. anyone who thinks it could work shouldn't be Able to vote 😂, also guns kill WAY more people yet I bet you wouldn't say "ban guns"
@@DB-sd3cwWhy? Cause humans are shit and overbred them for fighting? Even tho I've been bit by more rottweilers and German shepherds than any pit. Screw off
america is the greatest country in the world. with lobbying you get what you pay for. 100% . nothing says freedom like 100% import duty on chinese EVs and banning tiny japanese trucks. also the "chicken tax" is still enforced from the 1970s.
If most, if not all, vehicles were Kei-sized, the roads would be overall safer for everyone. The fact that, as far as I know, they barely go over 100 km/h could also help.
As someone from PA where these are technically banned I still see a ton on the roads here with farm use reg and offload vehicle reg some aren't even registered at all. The point is alot of us don't care If our vehicles are registered properly or not or we wont follow the laws in place and to be honnest I think people will just drive these regardless I mean In western times if a cowboys horse bit the dust he just went out and bought another and that same approach can be applied here. Summed up explanation: screw the regulations and laws just don't get caught.
I know so many dudes who said "Jap scrap" in the 80s and went on to swear by Japanese brands. My favorite is a local dude with 5ive big pro America flags flying from the bumper of his Toyota truck😂😂 True patriot yo!😂 I can stomach the restricted imports. What really grinds my gears is that the US manufacturers won't adopt any of the many common sense features that many foreign cars and especially trucks come standard with.
It would depend on the year and model of the toyota truck and for the Tacoma which body style. All Tundras are made in the USA, all 1995-2004 Tacoma are made in the U.S., and all 2004-Current non V6 double cab short beds are made in the US. The V6 double cab short beds are made in Mexico. Agree with you on the later half though the only way to cause that to happen would be to get rid of the Chicken Tax and CAFE
@TMWSTW-hy5ph Naw, even then, you're not going to see many of the Euro or other cab forward layouts in the 1-3 or mini truck classes. It's amazing what Iveco, Mercedes, and others offer in these truck classes that don't exist here except by the extremely limited 25+ yo import rules market. It was this way before carb and cafe standards. The variety of small utility and vocational trucks elsewhere in the world is sick compared to the US. Here, $70-80K gets you a short bed, you can't reach, that doesn't dump, and has an auto tailgate🤣🤣🤣 Just when the Kei trucks started gaining popularity and beginning to be taken seriously for the class they are and the work they perform very economically, the states are starting to ban them. The only way this will change is if startups like Tesla, diesel/electric hybrid Co. Edison and the many other disruptors force legacy manufacturing to lose market share. Same, with cars. The Smart Car entry caused a big stir. Little cars are all over the rest of the world, but not even very common in US cities. Legacy is starting to offer retrofit electric kits for trucks. I can't wait to see how much it would cost for all of Ford or GM's bells and whistles to convert an old vehicle to electric.
As a resident of the wonderful state of CA, all my dreams of owning something are hidden behind lots of money to make something "comply" with emissions regulations, I feel for these people in other states having the registration revoked. It's completely BS, and now getting a proper schooling on why exactly this is happening, I'm even more mad. We as car enthusiasts make up a sliver of the driving population. If I weren't a total idiot who has made bad decisions in my life, I'd figure out a way to get some sort of way to get a bill or constitutional article passed to just let us have fun. We assume all the safety risks involved, and understand that our RB26 powered cars will help kill the environment.... But honestly just keep the government, and other agencies that recommend BS like this out of our garages.
Google, "Los Angeles before EPA Regulations" You'll see why California has such strick emissions laws. Long story, short: The same reason we have such nice weather is the same reason smog lingers in our lower atmosphere.
@@DFaustJrTheres a difference between having an emission standard vs taking it too far and being borderline protectionist. Japan has emission standards too and California needs to stop virtue signaling by making their standard slightly lower than the Federal standard. Why not just have any car pass a simple tailpipe test instead of the BAR sticker and smog referee B.S. for imported cars?
This is very true. You have an awesome platform and talent for communicating to the audience. Now how do we change this? Contact your congressman? Reach out to local legislators? What do “we the people” need to do?
Absolutely, I drive my 28,000 pound diesel pushing motorhome that has absolutely nothing in front of me for safety. I got frame rails below my feet and above that it’s fiberglass and glass and I’m right in the front dead if I hit anything.
"brief pause in the 40s, I can't really understand why" is either the most masterfully sarcastic comment made on youtube, or else you live on a different planet than this one
Well California is known as a first wave state basically things that passed here usually get passed everywhere else. Emissions tests are are generally a good thing but basing emissions off wheel base is stupid. As long as a car isn't excessively polluting it should be legal to drive.
I live in MA and the state has some really freakin stupid rules. For example, when there's work being done on the road, street lights, weed cutting or other public spaces, they assign multiple police officers to work it. The state is also very elitist.
Banning kei trucks is like banning manual mowers because the blades are sharp. The logic makes no sense I feel like 😂.
The silliest thing government can do is focus on such a NICHE thing with such vague reasons why. It’s stuff like this that opens up the rumor mill of “is it lobbyists?”, “is it GM / Ford?”, when really it’s a few old folks that are just bored and have the power to do things, so they do.
Kei trucks are to so many people an actual, viable daily driver. It’s efficient, it’s compact, and it works.
Maybe I’m wrong in todays tin hat thoughts, so let me know below 🎉
Oh, and subscribe if you enjoy this kinda content. It’s new for me!
Yeah, they don't take into account pedestrian safety, like euro's NCAP safety rating; I rather be hit by a kei truck over a Ford F-350 hands down.
Nonsense like this just goes to show that "Land of the Free" has always been a nice little lie we tell ourselves to pretend we're special as a country.
@@Eduardo_Espinoza them going at the same speed does the same damage what you said makes zero sense that’s like saying I would rather be hit by a pistol than a rifle
@@key2shawn154what? They don't do the same damage just bc the same speed. More flexible, cheaper material, and angles definitely matter absorbing and redirecting impact (modern cars sweep and throw you up and over to do that or the bumpers fold, hood collapses, and hinges explode throwing the hood up to soften impact for struck pedastrians.). It's the reason why cars all look the same now and people are actually surviving now being hit by vehicles instead of just exploding or being riped in half like the 60-70s. As for the pistol vs rifle yes id rather get shot by a small caliber than a damn rifle b/c I got better odds of surviving.
@@MrSmexy702
Also a matter of mass. Kei trucks aren't known for their mass. It's just what, 1,000 kg of sheet metal and engine? Current pickups are at least 3x the mass
Lone Star Kei here. We're the group that fought the ban and won in Texas. We are not done fighting these arbitrary bans and would love to work with you on furthering our agenda!
Let’s do it! Shoot me a message and would love to learn more!
@@AlexMartini. I sent y'all a message using the contact form on the martiniworks website!
GOD bless TX
Are you guys working in georgia too?
Everythingwheeled has been a huge advocate for the community here, Ray went to Boston and spoke to the DOT reps. (They looked mildly bored, because they are all just pencil pushers that are only interested in tax revenue.
They should really look at how much they will be losing across the state.
The second mine is off the road, there is no more excise tax, inspection, or registration.
Montana will take my money just fine.
I'm convinced big car manufacturers have people lobbying to ban kei trucks.
100% true
Ok, so... what would you like to buy to use just for the rest of your life: a japanese Subaru BRZ, a american Ford Mustang GT or a french Alpine A110?
@@patricklopes-vtec alpine a110 any day of the week
Considering you can import one of these for a 10th of what a base model mid sized truck costs, I'd say you're correct 😅
Look at the 100 percent tax with BYD. Even at a 100 percent import tax it is still cheaper than a base model 3. I wanted a ford ranger hybrid but the dealer marked them up to $45,000 for what listed as a base at $26,000 mini truck.
Government: we need smaller more fuel efficent vehicles
Kei trucks: exist
Government: reeeeeeeeeeeee not like that!
More like General Motors didnt make it so its bad
Now buy this massive ford dually you cant afford and we are also outlawing because its not electric
@@tyranus1111 I read somewhere that gm sold kei trucks in China after rebadging sambar. Hell they sell Isuzus as hd4500 cabover chassis
Americans weren't even buying the old Rangers and greatly preferred to buy F-150s, yet you think that they're going to buy these ridiculously dangerous kei trucks? That doesn't make any sense.
@@PistonAvatarGuy Well the fact these imported Kei trucks have customers means there is actually demand for it. What I have seen and read, these Kei trucks are more in demand for commercial work such as for farming and other things for just transporting things, many not for commuting. And that's actually what these are Kei truck originally designed for, just pure utility. In Japan, consumers don't buy these just to use as commuter car, they have kei cars for that market. Unless they are looking for something cheap to buy with some utility in used market.
@@kornkernel2232 You're talking about hundreds, maybe thousands of people, and most seem to just buy them as toys, not for any sort of real purpose. If someone needs a small vehicle for use on a farm, they can buy golf cart trucks, or utility side-by-sides, or 4 wheelers, as they don't need to be road legal.
The only reason why these old kei trucks are cheap is because they're used and they're old, they wouldn't be so inexpensive if people were buying them new.
Fuel efficient: ✔️
Productivity workhorse: ✔️
Safer than motorcycles: ✔️
Cheap to get: ✔️
Cheap to maintain: ✔️
Perfect for farm and big city transport (Or any roads below 70mph): ✔️
Government: YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT 😡
They know it'll disrupt the $45k luxury truck market because what people really want is a simple work vehicle
Bro $45k trucks are like the base model now not even luxury 💀
try the $80,000 truck market
45 k luxury truck. Does it have 375,000 mi on it already?
Yup
Yet instead of telling these companies to figure it out or to actually bother learning how to compete with another company other than themselves they coddle US automakers like a spoiled child.
@@clockwork3494it’s the CAFE standards, auto makers can’t make anything but giant cars because small vehicles have incredibly unrealistic MPG requirements
The goal is to make transportation as expensive as possible so the average person can't afford it. It has nothing to do with safety or the environment.
what does that gain them except hundreds of millions of people seething with a desire for vengeance?
@@kingmasterlord control and domination.
@@hosocat1410 "imaginary bullshit"? thats what i thought: they get nothing.
Someone is pushing it. People who have no interest in cars don't just suddenly take an interest unless they are being told to. Likely by a company with an agenda to push.
probably the big car makes who make shitty ass trucks now and are mad people are buying these old little ass trucks that can do everything+more 😂😂
Literally someone named Nicky 6:38
Hi! I work in a state legislature in one of the states that have fought back.
It’s literally this. Lobbyists have showed up to our office to encourage us to ban them.
This is how almost every seemingly random law gets done-someone pays people to show up to offices and talk about how “critical” it is. A lot of stuff never makes it out of this stage, but that’s kinda the problem.
We hear so much insanity that anything as seemingly in touch with reality as “these real trucks that actually exist are too little and too slow to be safe” seems credible after the fifth variation of how ‘cell towers give you double adhd’ or ‘fracking actually replenishes ground water with pure, filtered water.’
Luckily, my legislator knows I love cars and told them they’d have to convince me first before she’d take a meeting with them. I am very fortunate that she always wants to review independent assessments and research, but not all electeds operate that way.
Sadly, too many legislators convince themselves they’re experts on everything. Mostly because lobbyists get paid a great deal to convince them that they are. You hear that every day for years and years and you might start to believe it.
What makes it worse is it’s often impossible to know who is behind the lobbyists. Sure, they give you a card and a firm, but post Citizen’s United and the spree of state legislation it opened the door for, it’s often simply not possible to trace the money more than 1-2 steps, ending at a company that may as well just name itself “Dark Money Cutout Inc.”
Personally, I think it’s the Big 3 automakers, maybe them and some others, possibly auto lenders and even debt collectors. They want to keep selling $90k trucks you can’t repair that are designed to fail in like 60,000 miles at insane monthly payments and interests.
Why spend $15,000 or more on an ATV that doesn't have AC and isn't enclosed when you can import a Kei truck that is equally as capable, has a larger bed, is fully enclosed, and costs less than $5,000 total. This is exactly what is happening.
I saw somewhere on RUclips that it was tied to the Golf Cart and UTV people. I'm not sure how true it is, but it makes since.
If US manufacturers made actual smaller, inexpensive, more fuel efficient pickups for people to use for work and drive, like the old S-10s or Rangers, then people wouldn’t be importing Kei trucks. Instead we get the oversized, bloated, 3 ton, $100K pickups for soccer moms and mall bros.
if you have a look in all my local dealerships you will not find a single regular can nor even an extended cab. Every single one is a crew cab. They are all huge monsters. If you want a reg cab you'd have to order from the factory. Even the tacoma and frontier is not available here (Canada) in extended cab - only crew cab. Trucks are just too big.
@@amandahuginkiss4098 same. I’m in Canada too and was just in a dealership today, all massive trucks and SUVs.
The problem is they can't build smaller without having issues with CAFE. The bigger the foorprint of a vehicle the more its allowed to emit pollutants without a fine. This why all vehicles, especially trucks, keep getting bigger and bigger.
what's a MALL?
The US EPA forced small trucks off the market for reasons of gas mileage. One commenter almost got it right below... the trucks with greater wheelbase and wheel track (width between the wheels) are held to a lower standard. Smaller trucks had to meet ridiculously unrealistic gas mileage standards, but larger trucks did not. Voila-- you get a market full of fullsize trucks that get worse mileage than small trucks, and it is the fuel economy standards that did it.
CAFE is a disaster. It's ruining the reliability of modern vehicles. It's the reason behind wet timing belts and super thin motor oils, neither of which is a particularly good idea when it comes to longevity. The unstated goal is to push people into EVs without actually voicing a ban. They know that a ban on sales nationally will not fly, so they're doing it incrementally through the back door.
Kei trucks manage to get in because they're old.
It's typical politics, older people who have no idea what something is, passing laws that they don't know anything about.
No, its because most politicians are bought by and win their elections because of lobbies and PACs. You have the illusion of democracy you have an oligarchy.
Can’t fix roads in a timely manner but can ban a truck in .6 seconds 😅
The elderly politicians know that the lobbyist promised to come buy their wife's arts and crafts if he does the necessary and saves the world from the evil kei truck.
Government sucks at everything
@@kennygaming208you can, but how often does that do much of anything substantial. Half the time they just find a way around it to either do it with no vote or in a round about way - like banning X thing because it happens to need Y to work or something
1:57 'brief pause in the early 40's i cant really understand why' 🤣
Out of all things we're going after kei trucks? What are people's obsession with the hatred of a compact utility truck like who actually puts time into these things? Bloat jobs have gotten way too out of hand
That stinks as something big pickup truck manufacturers would come up with so they don't lose sells. Then again the amount of those trucks being imported cant be that big? Perhaps they are afraid the trend will catch on as those small trucks are way more practical in most applications.
Because it's dangerous, thanks to the light trucks that are 3 times bigger and heavier. With this logic, you kinda understand the ban, because you have almost 0 chance of surviving a head on crash with said light truck. While the Kei trucks are popular, because people use them as trucks, not mom mobiles.
@bzs187 then why not ban motorcycles, they are far more dangerous to the rider.
That logic makes zero sense.
It's just about domestic mfg'ers feeling threatened because Theres a much cheaper alternative than big gas guzzling trucks we have now.
@@bzs187 people that drive little corolla's and Yaris' are equally as screwed as kei truck drivers. The answer to making big dangerous pickup's isn't more big pickups.
@@bzs187 Should we ban Geo metros?
It is absolute madness that, here in Georgia, I can't register a Kei (RIP dreams of having my own Mitsubishi Bravo), but if I want to race a logging truck in a side by side that is A-OK.
Can you take the doors off and register a Kei truck AS a side by side?
@@AlexandarHullRichter The law precludes "vehicles made for on-road use, regardless of whether such on-road use was intended for highways within Georgia or elsewhere". Also, you can only register side by sides built after 2001, so even if I could convince them that, for example, a Suzuki Carry 4x4 was obviously only meant to go off-road it would be too new to pass the federal 25 year import law. (At least for a couple more years) 😂😭
As a Maine resident, it's wild right now. Even non Kei-Trucks are having an issue getting regged in state now. Shout out to my local DMV lady who literally went in to a 2 hour war for me with the state to get my Cedric regged.
You remind them that you could just have it tagged in Montana, or they could do the paperwork and quit there bitching.
Best thing I ever did was move out of new England...
13:50minutes in is the point of why they’re banning KEI trucks: Someone got paid to pass a recommendation so that people have no choice but to buy the biggest, least energy efficient vehicles possible to keep American car manufacturers, oil companies, insurance providers in business, period.
THANK YOU!
And its dumb because most people that already drive big trucks would still keep buying them because they have more towing capacity and weight limits with more power. Kei trucks only a appeal to small niche section of truck owners
@@ST4X-0N-ST4X Not wrong there I prefer my 1991 F150 with a 300ci straight six cylinder mated to a 5 speed manual to lug around my tools and its been faithful. I'm from Michigan and KEI trucks always been banned since the 90s. I made do buying other used cars and trucks why this generation cannot seem to cope with that is a mystery to me.
@@ST4X-0N-ST4X The salesmen are doing their jobs well, I see.
The *real* niche are the F-150+ buyers, the people tricked into thinking they need huge towing capacity and weight limits when it's either a rare circumstance or a "maybe someday" thing for most of them. Far, far more often I see these massive trucks being treated with tender care, as giant toys to show off with. Not a fleck of dirt on them. The people who genuinely need such capability are few and far between, and their trucks will show it. The battle damage proves you're not just playing dress-up.
But that's the culture issue we face here - these trucks are largely sold on fantasy, not reality. People don't need that power. People are CONVINCED they need it, but they largely don't. The car lobby knows the threat the truck market faces from customers who just want the utility of a large bed to move stuff around, and don't want it to be impossible to maneuver in the city. They're playing around with bringing back "small" pickups like the Maverick - and surprise - they can't make them fast enough to keep on their lots! That's even though they still have a long way to go before they're even in the ballpark of how affordable, small, or functional Kei trucks are.
Safety? MFer the 3 ton supersize pickups everyone and their mom drives are unsafe
I barely trust me with our huge ass truck 😅
You don’t need a license to buy a 1000hp car.
That should be illegal
Its so fucking ironic how the safety topic is always about the ones inside the vehicle and never about the ones outside of it, mf the ones outside *should* be priority 😂
Lol a big ass new truck has so much more safety compared to a barely power steering kei truck. Yeh safe 😂😂
Loop holes... and watch the money flow.
I had actually been saving & planning on purchasing a Subaru Sambar this year, but then GA had to go and pass the Kei truck ban that went into effect in December of last year. I had a long discussion with the tax commissioner regarding it and he basically gave the whole spiel about that they were banned for being dangerous. Even after pointing out that they are no less dangerous than people riding around in VW Bugs/Beetles or cab forward truck, or a minivan/van, all he could tell me was these are just the rules from the state and they have to abide by them. Luckily, the Texas law just got overturned this year and enthusiasts in GA are using the Texas legislation as a basis to overturn the rule in other states (including Georgia).
I hope they get it reversed. Trying to do the same, but was told they are not DOT compliant ABs don’t pass their safety requirements so Ga won’t allow them.
They’re old, but reliable. They’re taking away from the mortgage payment truck salesmen and they’re lobbying to get them banned so they can sell their mortgage trucks.
That’s the way I see it anyways.
How when people still buy old reliable ford ranger box Chevy pick ups and Toyota trucks
@@key2shawn154
The people that sell those old Toyota trucks are on some sort of drug for what they ask for them. They have major structural rust issues. Pretty much any model before 2013 at this point could have it unless it never touched salt or mud. Granted some years are more easily repair than others, but people still want $9800 for one with 230k and looks like it got hit by a train.
Sorry ya’ll but that’s some used pu💰💰y. It’s not the gem you think it is anymore. It was before you ran it down a hill, into a lake, and drove it across country 99 times…
@@key2shawn154 Because metaphorically, they have to boil the frog slowly. If the states jump straight to trying to ban older trucks or older vehicles in general, that is going to raise concerns from most people. But if they start out with banning old imported trucks and vehicles, something that only a select few people would ever do, it will go mostly unnoticed. There is also a finite amount of used vehicles in the US. If more get imported, the number goes up drastically and the US automakers do not like that.
Make no mistake: on our current track the government will one day try to ban all old vehicles under the guise of either safety or emission concerns. You WILL go into debt for a car and you will like it. You WILL own nothing and you will be happy.
@@Neipalm that’s what I don’t understand though how are they gonna ban all old vehicles that are perfectly fine and can easily be rebuilt they can’t just force people to buy electric even if they try to force only electric vehicle sales plus it’s not gonna stop semi trucks because the electric versions can’t handle constant use like engine vehicles
@@billbob4856 I understand that I don’t understand trying to sell a old truck that was mass produced and with the amount of damage most of them have they should deduct the price based on the amount of damage and rust is shouldn’t be nowhere near a thousand
Kei trucks are being banned because they hurt the 40k truck market.
💯
$40k IF you can find it. Average sale price for a truck is $70k now. Just do the math on how many times you can rent a Uhaul for $70k and you find out owning a pickup truck no longer makes sense.
100k
It’s funny watching these miniature trucks get banned while also watching Side by Sides get the green light to be registered for the street.. It’s absolutely backwards
Side by sides sell for $15k and up.
That's a lot of backfed tax dollars. :3
Think about it. Follow The Money.
@@jamesgizasson A brand new kei truck can easily go for just as much if not more once its imported into the US. It's just that most people don't even know they can import the kei trucks themselves(with a ton of legal restrictions).
@Jack-yl7cc True, but the government doesn't get as much of that money. If they can't profit from it, they're likely to forbid it.
Honestly, you can import an old diesel Landcruiser or G-wagon for the same price, and it will be a fully registered vehicle! It just won't be in very nice shape. :3
trying to ban it the same reason they don't want the 10K toyota pickup here.
So an idiot in a cybertruck can drive in downtown Boston but a small business owner can't drive a kei truck around south Boston?...
kei trucks are meant for small slow roads. that isnt the norm in america, if someone wanted one as a farm truck no one would or has stopped anyone from getting one.
@@psd.3144 Speed limit in Boston is 25mph, a kei truck shouldn't be singled out and banned.
@@Brandon_Biden the truck isn’t allowed since you likely can’t insure it since they have little to offer in terms of safety. It’s not being singled out, it just doesn’t meet the requirements. The whole point of my initial post is that farm trucks don’t have to be insured, and Boston isn’t a farm, and requires vehicles to have a level of insurance to be driven on its roads. Maybe around Boston there is a carve out, where I live they are flat out uninsurable.
@@psd.3144 The only way those trucks can be imported is if they fall under the 25 year rule. Therefore, it's not applicable to modern safety regs. Same way you can drive a 1970 peugot or 1992 rhd Toyota supra on American roads. The issue of safety is a farce, which is why I brought up the cybertruck. That vehicle is a danger to every pedestrian and passenger vehicle on the road today. In a city like Boston, we should be banning behemoth ego haulers like the cybertruck for safety reasons, not kei trucks.
Plus, I just like seeing them.
@@psd.3144Lots of kei trucks here in FL. All insured. I’m seeing more pool maintenance companies using them.
We used to own a late 70s Ferrari 308 GTS. It's VIN was only four digits. It used to drive me batshit with California DMV because they kept telling me that that VIN belonged to a trailer. Such a pain to renew the registration and even worse when I lost the pink slip and we were selling it 10 years ago. I spent hours at DMV trying to get a replacement, all at no avail. They refused to believe me that a vehicle could have a 4-digit VIN, even with the vehicle registration paperwork in my hand and in front of their face. Fortunately, I did eventually find the pink slip and was able to transfer title to the new owner.
What I don’t understand is why they’re saying k trucks are unsafe while we have people with jeep wranglers that take their doors off and the government is saying “yea that’s ok.. that’s TOTALLY SAFE”
One was actually crash tested here.
Those jeeps have huge payments, guzzle gas and are high to insure.
I think that’s what they want.
The man don’t want us to have access to a cheap easy to fix and cheap to insure vehicles. They don’t want simple. Simple gives us more free time and more time to live and think. That’s not acceptable
Let alone motorcycles. How is it any different
Kei trucks have certain limitations due to Japanese safety requirements. Some are speed limited for example.
@@OryxAU mine goes 72 mph, and was fully registered and inspected every year before I bought it and imported it. What’s the speed limitation on them, that the Japanese government sets? I have a feeling that’s a he said she said thing
Yeup, I think its the UTV manufacturers. Because lobby groups have been pushing for allowing UTV's on the road.
Most things in America are run by lobby groups, start your own. Get together with other car enthusiasts and lobby. It's cheaper than you think to buy a politician 👍
Still a combined lobby of individuals with their best interests at hart still doesn’t have millions compared to corpies who can burn billions of dollars.
@@toothinm9paste no it's way cheaper than you think. Some elections in the US have been bought for 15k or less. The massive Christian super pack pays 50k to people like ted Cruz to ban adult content and they do exactly what they say. A RUclipsr can buy a local election today. It's cheaper than you think.
lol with what money. These people won’t even buy the catted version of a downpipe. The average car enthusiast buys the most expensive car they can and then slaps on the cheapest mods they can quality for through Affirm
Like AIPAC
Smartest thing I have heard/seen/read in a long time. Preach, chuch, oath.
Here in NC we have to thank Mayberry Mini Trucks for making it legal for us to drive kai trucks. He fought for years and had to drive his trucks to the capital for lawmakers to get it that they were safe to drive on the road.
Sorry if you mention this before the end of the video, but look up the Chicken Tax of 1964.
Any time you threaten big automakers in the US, they put their money wherever they can to shut it down.
If it wasn't for that tax passed in 1964, the commercial vehicle landscape in the country would be completely different.
The Fat Electrician's video on his Fat Files channel about the Chicken Tax keeping him from getting the new Hilux is worth watching.
This^
It's pretty ironic isn't it? American companies are extremely competitive until it comes time to compete. Then they just get the government to create a set of circumstances that give them an unfair advantage over anyone who tries to make something better, so the American consumer is stuck buying their mediocre garbage. Just ask Preston Tucker.
Ehh if you do further research you’d see the chicken tax was more like the final nail in the coffin. Not much, if anything, would have changed without it.
@@lVlegabyte if it wasn’t that big of a deal, why was ford still trying to go around it 50 years later?
So...not sure why no one is bringing this up - Kei Trucks are super easy to retrofit into a Mobile home with better gas mileage than an RV. Homelessness is on the rise, God forbid people with bad credit have ANY kind of avenue to afford housing. They just want more people to become dependent on public services to where you literally can't do anything without signing some "Terms of Service".
This is why they need to consult experts and not advisory boards that CLEARLY dont have any
They do, and those experts probably are also just coincidentally employed by one of the big three automakers.
“Experts” is why the Economy took a nosedive in 2020.
I bought one to help out around the property. It does dump runs, lumber pick up and laying down gravel on my laneway. I also use it for just going into town to pick up stuff. It is a 2005 Hijet heavy dump. They are legal to drive on the road in Canada and you can import them if they are 15 years or older. I drove it for 3 hours on the main highways when I picked it up earlier this summer. It did just fine keeping the speed limit. It certainly feels safer then when I'm on my motorcycle. It helped me with my decision to get a side by side or a small pickup. And it was cheaper than both.
They solve a problem many people have. I don't see how that could be a problem for anyone else.
Actually , THAT is NOT a KEI
vehicle.
KEI vehicles have very specific
specifications for fuel economy ,
such as ▪︎max. length ~11'
▪︎ max. engine 660cc
▪︎ max. wgt. ~1100# (?)
Your Heavy Dump is a nice , more
compact workhorse , but is by no
means in the KEI class. Such
trucks are also quite desireable tho 👍 .
( fyi : it's KEI not K , folks. KEI is an
abbrevition or acronym regarding
fuel efficiency ( i think ; don't recall ,
it's been years 🙂 )
GOOD LUCK to all ! ! !
FIGHT ✊🏻 FIGHT 👊🏻 FIGHT 🤜🏻
One, it's not a law. It's an administrative decision. Second, in virtually every state, you have administrative recourse from any negative action by the DMV. So likely, none of these bans are legal. Also, most states have administrative procedure acts that regulate agency rule making. BTW, vehicle registrations are under state, not federal regulation. Kei truck owner and practicing lawyer, in CT where Kei trucks are still legal.
An Attack Librarian has entered the chat!
Plz tell us it's viable to form class actions in our States, and who makes for the best recipient? D:
The motorcycle argument is crucial. America at some point forgot that safety is just as much an individual responsibility as much as it is a systemic responsibility. We see this plagued everywhere now in America from parenting to how we work. A motorcycle is one of the few areas that we have maintained the correct balance of individual responsibility and systemic responsibility. Even though I never plan to own a Kei truck, these ruling can effect everything. What is stopping these rulings from banning everything that isn't an American truck/SUV in the future? This is a big problem.
I live in Oregon where Kei Trucks are specifically banned. It's absolutely wild that I'm not allowed to purchase one of those, but I'm being strongarmed into having to purchase a big truck I don't need that gets terrible mileage. Someone is more likely to die in an accident because of the size and it's worse for the environment than a kei truck.
I wouldn't be surprised if some car maker is lining pockets to push these through to sell more trucks people don't want.
That's absolutely what's happening
sorry to hear that man, best thing to do imo is to buy a small truck from the 80's to early 2000's and run with it. If you're worried about rust look in the CA,AZ,NV,NM market... take a trip, enjoy your small truck. Just be ready to perform the typical maintenance yourself to keep costs down but you really can't go wrong with any small truck from that time frame, The only ones i would be wary of are 2.8 s10/s15 trucks or 3.0 Rangers. Screw the modern truck market, buy something old but good.
But they let side by sides on the road 🙄
You can still buy one just pick it up out of state and transport it in an enclosed trailer what your state doesn't know won't hurt them
One of my local postal workers has one but it’s been sitting for a few years now…I hate my government
Born and raised Masshole here. Whenever you see something being banned it's because A. Someone said something wrong in a movie (i.e. John McClane calling a Glock 17 a "porcelain gun" that can get past metal detectors hence Glocks are illegal in Massachusetts) or B. A lobby group complained. In Massachusetts I would hazard that car dealerships with 900 day supply of multi-ton $90K SUVs and trucks don't want to compete with $10K KEI trucks.
Kei trucks use less gas are less wasteful and polluting than huge trucks and allow people who just need a little truck bed sometimes and save gas
Just because a truck is big doesn’t mean it polllutes more
That’s not true just a because a vehicle is big doesn’t mean it wasn’t gas or is polluting more
@@key2shawn154 a bigger vehicle will 100% all the time pollute more than a smaller vehicle, bigger mass needs more power to move, power needs energy. Bigger = more power= more energy if you don’t want to accept that you’re just in denial, good luck walking around life blindfolded
Kei trucks have full size beds. Some huge US crew cab trucks are much larger but have much smaller beds. It's an optical illusion. People assume tiny kei trucks have small beds but they don't. They're rated at 350 kg cargo capacity but I use mine as a half tone pickup and people routinely put a ton in these little trucks if they are going slow. Kei trucks are little workhorses. No wheel wells taking up cargo space, either.
@@HijetHijinks they do have smaller beds
Kei truck is probably no more or less safe than a VM Bus I drove around in the 1970s. In either case, only 1/16 of an inch of steel between you and god.
PS - rented a camper version in Japan and had a blast.
The car companies want to sell a $40-$50k with a damn infotainment system and all the things that a working man can’t care less about, give us a simple truck for work for less money of let us import them 😡
This whole thing is so anti-"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" as to be un-American. It's also anti-logic. Imagine if we all chose to drive Model Ts. Or if they applied the same safety reasoning to motorcycles or bicycles, SxS, or golf carts, or whatever else. It's nonsense. I complain about a lot of stuff we suffer with here in Florida, but there might not be a more automotively free place to build, own, and drive in the US.
We live in an anti human world. Thanks Satan
Freedom from government regulation that directly increases income inequality used to be a stable of Democratic liberalism only a decade ago. Now, you're right wing if you want 90s-2000s liberalism. Modern "liberalism" is "make life safer for the rich who can afford it, and screw poor people who will end up being even more unsafe because now modern safe cars are too expensive". It's so weird.
Massachusetts actually just unbanned them. They claimed after testing safety they decided they're fine but I'm pretty sure it was due to public outrage, so thank you for fighting the good fight.
Massachusetts man here, they’ve recently started denying registration/titling of basically all imports not just Kei trucks
Sounds like massivetwoschitts
Sounds like y'all should just start saying f it and drive completely unregistered cars what are they gonna do? I think mass officials have bigger things to worry about then go after every single mass resident driving an unregistered vehicle.
@@SAMPLETEXT285I mean, in NYS driving an unregistered vehicle is punishable by fines, fees, surcharges, incarceration, and insurance increases. 💀
Local Elections Matter
Best thing I ever did was move out of Massachusetts...that place is just gross...
My question would be: Who is loosing money by people buying these cheap Kei trucks rather than the overpriced behemoths? Who is really behind the lobby?
I'm one minute in and my blood is already starting to boil.
Samsies!
2 minutes 23 secs in and i hac to pause for the same reason.
Keep allowing and voting for government bloat. As a Canadian, we started it.
Car enthusiasts need to group together and build a lobbying group. I'll be the first to donate. We just need a face or a group of faces we trust to put the donations behind.
*Yes, a grassroots lobbying effort is sorely needed. You are describing the reason SEMA was founded in 1963. Problem is SEMA forgot what their purpose truly is.*
@blackrifle6736 hate to see it
AAMVA = the kid who reminds the teacher about homework.
knowing what the chicken tax is and how it killed Medium and small size SUVs and trucks in the United States this is exactly what I expected to happen
I am going on a conspiracy theorist rant but here goes...
Automobile companies have pushed for bigger is always better mentality here in the United States once the chicken tax came into effect and we no longer got small trucks because "they weren't selling" it gave automobile manufacturers free reign to build bigger trucks and charge a premium on them. I believe that people have grown tired of this and they are looking for other options and that is why more people are starting to sway into buying a kei truck. I think this poses a threat to United States sales because we found the loophole to bring a form of a light truck back to the States. It isn't because of people that don't know what they're talking about or making the rules per say. I think it's people influencing people that don't know what they're talking about to change the rules so that way they do not get hurt in the pockets. Auto manufacturers are finding loopholes like using Nikki and the influence that her administration has to manipulate the standings of the rules. And in order to make something like this work they had to start in places where It's a little under the radar hence why they didn't start in a place like Texas or Tennessee or Pennsylvania they started in Maine out of all places and now Massachusetts It's the beginning of getting a foothold into the system so that way other states can be manipulated by the corporate dollar to say "look it works over there so let's try it over here ". I wouldn't doubt that Ms. Bachelder got a little kick back from starting such a rule.
But hey I am just spit-balling here.
It's not a conspiracy, this is a fact. Automakers shape regulations and it's loopholes in the USA
100% true
I would add UTV and side-by-side manufacturers to the mix. These small used trucks are a direct threat to that market.
So...Let me see if I have this straight. My 1965 Econoline pickup with its cabover design, 2 wheel drive, drum brakes no seatbelts from the factory and straight axle in the front is perfectly legal, but a 1990's Kei truck with better brakes, 4 wheel drive, seatbelts with shoulder belts and much more safety equipment is illegal. Got it.
American companies are dropping their car models and are focusing on large trucks and SUVs.
Kei trucks are really kicking them in the nuts if the market tends to call for more small trucks
How much do you want to bet that the major common factors in the U.S. are donating a bunch of money to the AAMVA?
My logic on this being that selling people gigantic trucks with way too many features is a lot more profitable than selling someone a small cheap truck.
They don't want to have to compete with people selling affordable small trucks.
3-4 ton double cab trucks that can go 120mph easy is much more dangerous than a 1 ton truck that barely goes 70mph 😂
depends on your perspective. The bigger trucks have more crumple zones, they have more safety features, better air bags. Meanwhile if the kei truck crashes, you are the crumple zone.
However you are far less likely to crash a kei truck, and as you said they're often used at much lower speeds. meanwhile larger trucks mow down kids all the time because you literally can't see 10 feet infront of yourself because they're so tall.
Either way motorcycles being legal throws a wrench into the safety argument.
That makes no sense since both use the same roads
I want a 4-ton single cab that can go up to 90, but sits happily at mid revs going forty.
@@bobowon5450Big trucks are safe for the driver but they'll kill everyone one else on the road that is smaller with their large "crumple zones".
@@grandsome1 depends on the crash. most crashes are between two vehicles, and two big vehicles hitting each other will be safer than two small vehicles hitting each other. but you could also argue that two smaller vehicles are much less likely to hit each other at all.
They aren't rejecting renewals and revoking titles yet.
However it is hit and miss with registration of any JDM vehicles because the RMV clerk sees Japanese papers and assumes they're the same. They recently rejected BMWs from Japan with a full 17 digit vin.
People have been unable to transfer existing MA title kei trucks to a different owner.
But you can ride 49cc mopeds on those same roads with the same traffic... government is becoming a joke.
Big trucks are more unsafe. Longer stopping. Less manuvarable. And more harm to 3rd partys.
90% of pickup unsafe factor is actually high bonnet. Due to that during pedestrian impact way more energy is transfered to the person being hit. That's not me talking. That is backed by research. Unfortunately kei trucks are fairly similar in that aspect. That being said they are usually being driven slower and have better visibility probably so my best bet is they would be safer that way.
@@hagestad Worked on a 9000+ Chevy pickup... the hood DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO BE THAT HIGH!!! There was about a 1-2 ft of dead space above the engine in the engine compartment... Made it a chore to work on too!!!
@@scottjs5207 Exactly. Its all for looks sake. Modern engines can be half that height easy. If you go for v6 it will fit under the windshield literally and rest of the space is not really needed. Best example are sports cars like ferrari 812 for example. Half of that 6.5 v12 is under the windshield and the car itself is super low.
Big trucks (the ones replacing big cars and don’t need to be trucks, which is most of them) are causing harm in accidents to _2nd_ parties.
They do pretty well against trees though
At 18 I drove a 38 foot flatbed truck with no cdl for work yet not having a small truck is wild
Kei trucks are low carbon footprint, that has always been the point of them. Cheap to build and cheap to run. It makes zero sense to ban them, then turn around and say a 3.5 ton cybertruck is perfectly fine. The same Cybertruck that will never get approval in Europe because it doesn't meet the safety requirements. America just keeps getting dumber.
Its been confirmed that us automakers are behind this! My recommendation, start tag swapping/ vin swapping the kei vans and cars with the trucks. And also register as a side by side
When I had heard of this law, I immediately thought it was big American companies ford dodge etc worried about people buying kei trucks and putting them out of 3% market share cos ma profits, but this is just assinine
Considering stel anti’s is collapsing currently, it wouldn’t surprise me
I'm sure they're involved, but I think it's also a lot of "Karening" from state officials trying to "look busy" to justify their positions...
Sad reality of our politics, they really should be doing as little as possible; but to justify their positions, huge budgeting, and looking for reelections... they have to always be "doing something"
But a true testament to wiping out the problems we have in American automotive, is removing the CAFE restrictions; second chicken tax; third deposing "rules" since they're not laws.
Similarly to how gun "laws" work these days, some third party just invents a "rule" and starts trying to enforce it as law... despite not such law ever having been passed at the state or federal level, no just "it's a rule" - literally just making shit up and telling you to obey it.
It's not just "old timer politicians" it's special interest groups, auto/UTV manufacturers lobbying to ban these affordable utilitarian relatively available vehicles...
About 2 months ago here in Australia our government did a similar thing.. they released a new import legislation at i kid you not as i'm in contact with a couple import agencies here..
3:59pm on a Friday
Literally the minute before that department closed down for the week, Bam 12 Kei Car models banned.
And at that stage the law was to also de register any of those banned Kei cars that were already here (Mine included)
Obviously the Kei car community went in to melt down along with the Import Agencies.
As we couldn't even get any real info on it until the monday..
Monday rolled around and the import guys were able to get a meeting sorted with the department for the Wednesday.
After the meeting the gov banned another 7 Kei models but allowed all currently registered Kei cars to stay registered, and any Kei car already purchased in japan with already submited paperwork or on a boat over here to continue and be allowed to be registered.
A week later they added another 6 models.
Just out of nowhere...
And to give you an idea of how crazy it is..
In Australia you can't import a Daihatsu Copen GR Sport 2021-22
But you can import a Daihatsu Copen, Copen Xplay or Copen Robe 2015-2024
What's the difference on the GR Sport model you ask?
Visual, nothing but an apperance package.
It's insane, makes no sense and you're right.
For the amount of Kei cars actually being imported, why make all this fuss...
Someone is behind it for sure.
Esecially in today's world where everyone is eco consious.
We should be embracing these cars more than ever!
They only do this because the enthusiast group is small enough that there wont be 20 people protesting outside their doors the next day. The crazy thing is companies lobbying to crap on people who aren't exactly in the market for what they're selling either. (Those with the Kei-truck mindset are just going to look for some other used and old utility vehicle.)
There should be a system in Japan for changing the VIN to 17 digits to get rid of these trucks. I think US truck makers probably have a hand in it because they know it will hurt their sales.
Michigan government: kei trucks are unsafe, they should be illegal
ALSO MICHIGAN GOVERNMENT: *literally having a Model T as a current active government vehicle
I have a problem with the government saying *this* unsafe old vehicle is okay, but *that* unsafe old vehicle isn't.
I'd say something from the 90s with lights, a horn, windshield, roof, doors, fuel injection, heat, AC, and windows, that can go 60 on the highway is far safer than something like a Model T, or a Model A, or anything from the 70s back, regardless where it comes from
Michigan is also the state that has no inspections for regular cars and I always see cars halfway rotted to the earth and structurally unsound sporting some nice clean Michigan plates….
I live in Maine. I see these trucks with plates all the time. We have farm truck rust buckets with plows and no brakes and antique auto winter beater Flinstone mobiles. The safest 25+ year old vehicles we have on the road are mini trucks.
The fact that most of these politicians don't even shop for their own groceries says a LOT!! Clueless people.
If the government is really on our side and looking out what is best for us then they need to ban fast food/processed food and have real food being served to the public.
Alex, it’s pronounced “vay-g”
The way he was saying it caught me off gaurd 😂
Vaaaaag
I had to skim the comments, I knew I couldn't be the only one😝
@@jayboiee7054 He probably says vaygina. lmao
I suspect that insurance companies have a lot to do with it, ever notice that you know exactly who Jake from state farm is, and Lemu emu and Doug are, and "Mayhem, like me" Guy are ? How much do you think they spend on lobbying ????? You are spot on about Kei trucks being limited to use off of Interstate / Freeways, (55 mph or less) makes perfect sense. The absurdity of "safety" considering 15 year olds can legally ride mopeds, and 18 year old can ride liter bikes, legally, too, is mind boggling. A co-worker had a minor spill on his motorcycle, sprained his wrist, got 3 stitches, his medical insurance won't cover it, his motorcycle insurance won't cover his medical, because he dropped it, and he footing all the expenses, despite have double coverage.
Insurance companies government sanctioned extortion.
The asphalt company in my small town in Minnesota has a kei truck for resurfacing sidewalks
3 weeks ago I saw the department of highways using a kei truck as a work vehicle to haul grass mowing equip. (Canada) Not banned here and can import 15 year old Japanese models.
Well said! I built my own car and getting a state issued VIN was definitely the hardest part. I do like the special license solution.
If motorcycles are "safe enough", EVERY vehicle capable of minimum roadway speed is "safe enough".
An f150 won't know the difference between a kei truck and a Nissan versa.
Kei trucks have like 50 hp. And that was when they were built 20 years ago. It's more of the kei trucks can not keep up at highway speeds.
Keeping them off highways is possibly the only rule that makes sense
@@marks-0-0don't forget that your legs are part of the crumple zone
@@easytoguess1then don’t take it on the highway. They are meant for short distance utility purposes
@@marks-0-0and the people that own them don't take them on the highway to begin with....
The big 3 and their dealers see another foreign car invasion about to finish them off.
I wonder if it's crossed the mind of anyone in government that kei cars from the 90s are essentially level with a Geo Metro. In fact, some of them make even more power stock than a Geo Metro. But government isn't going after Geos to make them illegal because they are American.
Guarantee truck manufacturers are cool with banning kei trucks because some people have realized that a kei truck has all the utility they need in a truck, for like $5000, and the big 3 are scared it'll keep people from buying their behemoth gas guzzlers
Geo metros are really rebranded Suzukis
@bensmith4563 which makes it even funnier. I just said American because "Geo" is the rebadge, but yeah. Tiny wimpy Suzuki with America scribbled in crayon? Totally okay. Tiny wimpy Suzuki with truck bed they didn't sell here at the same time? Straight to jail
@Twinspinner I know it the government for you I don't think most of them especially the employees of the beuracrcy know the difference between up and down
you can drive a WW2 jeep on the freeway but not a Kei truck?
Looking up the reversal of the Chevron Act will show you that if it is not a law that congress has not passed it is not enforceable.
11:55 Just watch our gov ban motorcycles next 🤦♂️
Don't jinx it! 😫
Shouldn't New York be one of the places that would like smaller compact vehicles like the Kei Truck?
It’s weird, my 85 Suzuki samurai is basically an kei truck, kinda has me a bit worried in the future. Great video, I now understand what’s going on.
I wouldn't put it past Ford, GM, or Ram to be the one's spear heading this. They want to keep their big margins on pointless luxury trucks
Yes, the US people don't have a government, US business has a government.
I would recommend using the term "limited access highway" rather than just "highway" for that argument at around 15:13... the way that 49 CFR and 49 USC (the transportation portions of the federal regulations) are written, all public roads are officially labeled as "public highways"
KEI TRUCKS are getting banned like the way they banned "PITBULLS"...😂😂
Pitbull ban actually makes sense though.
Terrible analogy there Michael Vick lmao
@DB-sd3cw not at all, for one it's not even a real dog breed,it's whatever looks kind of similar that can range from 44lbs to 90lbs and can be any color coat or body shape as long as it has a boxy head and also if you ban a breed people will just keep breeding it and if they don't, they will just be replaced with another breed, I'd prefer pitbulls roaming as strays than stray rottweilers or German Shepard's, banning pitbulls is like banning crime or banning idiots. anyone who thinks it could work shouldn't be Able to vote 😂, also guns kill WAY more people yet I bet you wouldn't say "ban guns"
@@robertleadwood I'm not reading all that but thank fuck shitbulls are banned
@@DB-sd3cwWhy? Cause humans are shit and overbred them for fighting? Even tho I've been bit by more rottweilers and German shepherds than any pit. Screw off
america is the greatest country in the world. with lobbying you get what you pay for. 100% . nothing says freedom like 100% import duty on chinese EVs and banning tiny japanese trucks. also the "chicken tax" is still enforced from the 1970s.
It’s not actually little old ladies, they’re a front for the UTV and pickup dealers where kei trucks cut into their margins.
If most, if not all, vehicles were Kei-sized, the roads would be overall safer for everyone.
The fact that, as far as I know, they barely go over 100 km/h could also help.
As someone from PA where these are technically banned I still see a ton on the roads here with farm use reg and offload vehicle reg some aren't even registered at all.
The point is alot of us don't care If our vehicles are registered properly or not or we wont follow the laws in place and to be honnest I think people will just drive these regardless I mean In western times if a cowboys horse bit the dust he just went out and bought another and that same approach can be applied here.
Summed up explanation: screw the regulations and laws just don't get caught.
I know so many dudes who said "Jap scrap" in the 80s and went on to swear by Japanese brands.
My favorite is a local dude with 5ive big pro America flags flying from the bumper of his Toyota truck😂😂
True patriot yo!😂
I can stomach the restricted imports.
What really grinds my gears is that the US manufacturers won't adopt any of the many common sense features that many foreign cars and especially trucks come standard with.
It would depend on the year and model of the toyota truck and for the Tacoma which body style. All Tundras are made in the USA, all 1995-2004 Tacoma are made in the U.S., and all 2004-Current non V6 double cab short beds are made in the US. The V6 double cab short beds are made in Mexico. Agree with you on the later half though the only way to cause that to happen would be to get rid of the Chicken Tax and CAFE
@TMWSTW-hy5ph
Naw, even then, you're not going to see many of the Euro or other cab forward layouts in the 1-3 or mini truck classes. It's amazing what Iveco, Mercedes, and others offer in these truck classes that don't exist here except by the extremely limited 25+ yo import rules market.
It was this way before carb and cafe standards.
The variety of small utility and vocational trucks elsewhere in the world is sick compared to the US.
Here, $70-80K gets you a short bed, you can't reach, that doesn't dump, and has an auto tailgate🤣🤣🤣
Just when the Kei trucks started gaining popularity and beginning to be taken seriously for the class they are and the work they perform very economically, the states are starting to ban them.
The only way this will change is if startups like Tesla, diesel/electric hybrid Co. Edison and the many other disruptors force legacy manufacturing to lose market share.
Same, with cars. The Smart Car entry caused a big stir. Little cars are all over the rest of the world, but not even very common in US cities.
Legacy is starting to offer retrofit electric kits for trucks. I can't wait to see how much it would cost for all of Ford or GM's bells and whistles to convert an old vehicle to electric.
As a resident of the wonderful state of CA, all my dreams of owning something are hidden behind lots of money to make something "comply" with emissions regulations, I feel for these people in other states having the registration revoked.
It's completely BS, and now getting a proper schooling on why exactly this is happening, I'm even more mad.
We as car enthusiasts make up a sliver of the driving population. If I weren't a total idiot who has made bad decisions in my life, I'd figure out a way to get some sort of way to get a bill or constitutional article passed to just let us have fun. We assume all the safety risks involved, and understand that our RB26 powered cars will help kill the environment.... But honestly just keep the government, and other agencies that recommend BS like this out of our garages.
I don't even have cats on my m3. Laughing in Alabama
Google, "Los Angeles before EPA Regulations" You'll see why California has such strick emissions laws.
Long story, short: The same reason we have such nice weather is the same reason smog lingers in our lower atmosphere.
@@BPF80MCar-vi1pg Not gonna lie, I think I'd rather never own an interesting older vehicle in my life than have to live in Alabama
@@DFaustJr
NYC too. The Empire State building did not have very nice views back in the 60s
@@DFaustJrTheres a difference between having an emission standard vs taking it too far and being borderline protectionist. Japan has emission standards too and California needs to stop virtue signaling by making their standard slightly lower than the Federal standard. Why not just have any car pass a simple tailpipe test instead of the BAR sticker and smog referee B.S. for imported cars?
This is very true. You have an awesome platform and talent for communicating to the audience. Now how do we change this? Contact your congressman? Reach out to local legislators? What do “we the people” need to do?
I drive a Daihatsu Midget 2 every weekend and I love it, politicians don't know anything about having fun fr fr
Gun enthusiasts: "First time?"
Here I am trying to pour myself some candy watching this and I hesitated @ 7:31 Nice one....
The crazy thing is if we had more small vehicles, we would be a lot safer. Practices digest.
Dood Motorcycles Ain't A Thing?! 🤣
Absolutely, I drive my 28,000 pound diesel pushing motorhome that has absolutely nothing in front of me for safety. I got frame rails below my feet and above that it’s fiberglass and glass and I’m right in the front dead if I hit anything.
The hairline is strategically repositioning 1:05
I honestly think he should just go bald, the head shape from what we can see is pretty smooth, i think he could rock it well with the glasses he wears
Yeah just shave it time, how old is he? One of the youngest people who lost their side hairline, Don't be ashamed of it brother Biz that shit!!!!
"brief pause in the 40s, I can't really understand why" is either the most masterfully sarcastic comment made on youtube, or else you live on a different planet than this one
Damn these states been hanging out with California. lol
Well California is known as a first wave state basically things that passed here usually get passed everywhere else. Emissions tests are are generally a good thing but basing emissions off wheel base is stupid. As long as a car isn't excessively polluting it should be legal to drive.
@@allstarwoo4 exactly. I live in California and decided I make a joke since Cali starts a trend and other states follow.
The DMV helped me when someone tried to steal my Prius on paper.... It took 3 months but they finally corrected it
Montana LLC go brrrrrr
I live in MA and the state has some really freakin stupid rules. For example, when there's work being done on the road, street lights, weed cutting or other public spaces, they assign multiple police officers to work it. The state is also very elitist.
Georgia banned the titling of kei cars in general last year