It never ceases to amaze me how often I still learn about how much stuff is illegal in the US. All I ever heard growing up was how it's the freedomest country in the world and that the entire concept of its government was built on personal freedoms, and yet it doesn't even seem to be true on its own terms.

So many conspiracy theories in these comments about why American manufacturers don't build smaller cars.

It's very simple, American Auto Companies are loan companies, not auto manufacturers.

Why would they produce a $10k go-kart with a useable bed when they can get people to finance a $110k SUV at 18% APR?

It's not about oil, or other resources, or even labor and tooling.

It's just much more profitable to put you into debt.

For three years we've used this GEM[global electric motors] LSV[low speed vehicle] as our primary vehicle.
Legally I'm restricted to roads with 35mph speed limits or less, my maximum legal speed is 25mph, I never bothered to modify the top speed. I'm registered & insured in Reno. Driving the GEM is like towing a trailer, if the line of cars forms behind me, I pull over & let them pass Maybe 4 times a year someone rage passes me & generally ends up waiting next to me at the next light
With the lumber rack, beacon & safety triangle, I probably appear to be a city or university worker.

The notion that everyone must drive at or above the speed limit isn't true in my experience. Every trip does not require getting on a limited access highway & blasting along at 70 mph. The time saved is minimal, Small mistakes become serious accidents at higher speeds Every vehicle forum I've ever been on has a large contingent of Boys who want their toys to go fast.
The older model Kei mini trucks is too short & narrow to go faster than 40 mph or so safely. Making it wider reduces the ability to lane split :D

Colorado’s Division of Motor Vehicles also tried to explicitly ban them last year, though it later pulled its proposed rule. Some kei vehicle owners, however, say the state is still trying to keep them off the road by refusing to allow them into the emissions testing process.

As usual it's confusion from news when reporting on public policy. So are they proposing that there be exceptions to emissions rules for these vehicles or not? Because that will make a huge amount of difference in how much I or pretty much anyone else should support this.

Should've been okay from the start.

Considering?! Just fuckin’ do it, who does it hurt?

This is an echo back to the 70s, when gas prices were high and there were strict controls over Japanese economy cars. Why didn't American manufacturers make smaller cars? Well, "no one wanted them" was the line. Miraculously almost as soon as those same Japanese cars started to be allowed on our streets, suddenly Detroit figured out how to make them and dragged them kicking and screaming into the next eras.

Good companies innovate to keep their customers. Bad companies legislate to keep their customers.

Which one do you think is happening more today?

This passed a couple days ago and will be signed by the Governor today! Takes effect July 2027.

I would kill for one of these trucks, its so fucking stupid that they are banned

I mean, it's probably not safe in a crash at highway speeds (if it can even reach those speeds), but then neither are motorbikes and we allow those...

It's got to be better for the environment and wallet than those stupid Ford monster trucks. Especially since these would only attract people who actually need to carry large amounts of stuff about, rather than those who once needed to transport a fridge four years ago.

Maybe US car manufacturers could, y'know, make their own compact trucks? 😀

This is COMMUNISM! TRUE FREEDOM is FORCING us to use OVERSIZED Cars that use a LOT of EXPENSIVE Gas! ANYTHING else is WOKE!

We citizens need to change the laws to highly tax those oversized vehicles. And we should make them commercial use only. Average people don't need huge trucks. K-cars are quite cool.

In many export markets kei trucks are sold with larger engines than is mandated by the keijidousha regulations of Japan, and come in left hand drive. For example here's the Suzuki Carry in one export market. These international variants might be more suitable for the US market.

why aren't they allowed now?