https://jalopnik.com/texas-proves-its-commitment-to-freedom-by-legalizing-ke-1851403280
I thought I'd never say this, but I agree with Texas on this. There is a demand for small ICE trucks and if US manufacturers are not going to build them then we should be allowed to import them. And frankly, it doesn't have to just be Kei trucks, I'd love to be able to buy a new Chevy S-10 or a, small not midsized, Ford Ranger with a modest 4 cylinder engine. Remember those?
This whole business of everything having to be a giant monster and cost a fortune is BS.
I would say that in South Africa the small to mid sized truck (which we call a bakkie down here) is the back bone of the economy, the larger more robust bakkies (Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and the VW Amarok) are still heavily sought after but their prices make them out of reach for the majority of the working population.
>I'd love to be able to buy a new Chevy S-10 or a, small not midsized, Ford Ranger with a modest 4 cylinder engine. Remember those?
Yes, I also wish they were still being made. I do see quite a bit of old Toyotas and Rangers still on the road. Apparently some of the reason is the EPA regulation. I think this is a lesson in unintended consequences, but it has been years now with no change.
Modern, full size trucks seem very over the top to me, they are just marginally functional.
Isuzu P'up !! You couldn't kill those things. I finally had to give it away to a SIL.
There is a giant warehouse of these for sale in Southwest VA. Just in case you wanted to shop. I have no affiliation.
https://www.duncanimports.com/virginia-inventory.htm?bodyStyle=Mini-Truck