Kei Trucks—Lifesize!

[bill937ca]

Its a Toyota single-seater electric vehicle (EV) "COMS."

 

https://monoist.itmedia.co.jp/mn/articles/1207/03/news019.html

[bill937ca]

Another common  delivery vehicle is the Honda Gyro Canopy. used by McDonalds in the heart of Tokyo.

 

https://eimaru.sakura.ne.jp/49cc-talk/macdo-bike.html

 

 

 

 

Edited March 23 by bill937ca

[chadbag]

Speaking of Kei trucks, one just came up in our area on FB Marketplace.  1995 Suzuki carry 660.  $4000.  It has the good the bad and the ugly listed.  A little rough at idle, runs fine at speed.  Manual.  Clutch feels good.

 

I've see several kei trucks (not necessarily the above model) driving around including one at Home Deport a while back.  Utah seems kei friendly.

 

Edited March 27 by chadbag

[UnfinishedKit]

My limited experience of driving a suzuki carry of about that vintage around a farm in Hokkaido is that they are close to indestructible. And hey if the engine goes it’s pretty much small enough to take as handbaggage on your next trip to japan. (Might not leave much room for train purchases though)

[cteno4]

Even smaller than a vw bug engine and those 2 people can lift out pretty easily.

 

jeff

[EB421]

They're not rare either. The last three generations use the R06A (Current, my silver one has this), K6A (my white one has this) and F6A (the guy in the next town has this). Basically every Suzuki or Suzuki-derived car from each area uses that engine or a variant of it. Even the UK-made Kei Cars the Caterham Seven, used the K6A (and now the R06A) engines. Finding parts is not hard.

 

There are even ready-made converter kits for attaching Warp 9 EV motors to the Suzuki Kei gearboxes if it comes to it.

[katoftw]

[Cat]

Need that for the Shorty layout!

[EB421]

12 hours ago, katoftw said:

 

Holy Hannah is that an Acty Crawler!? Those things are SUPER rare and expensive! i want one so baaaaad!

 

I drive a Suzuki Carry and a Suzuki FZ-50. If Crawlers were readily available, I'd drive a crawler and a Cub.

Edited April 4 by EB421

[cteno4]

I want a picture of one next to one of those massive outback multiple semi trailer trains!

 

seems like it sort of is pushing the little engine’s limits just hauling the trailer. Are they meant for just light, but bulky items? Rolling resistance of all those wheels and axles and driving 2 axles is going to eat up power.

 

jeff

[EB421]

5 hours ago, cteno4 said:

I want a picture of one next to one of those massive outback multiple semi trailer trains!

 

I can do you the front view? 😉

 

 

5 hours ago, cteno4 said:

seems like it sort of is pushing the little engine’s limits just hauling the trailer. Are they meant for just light, but bulky items? Rolling resistance of all those wheels and axles and driving 2 axles is going to eat up power.

 

General rule of thumb for most any Kei Truck is that it can carry 350kg, or tow 550kg. So if that trailer is 200KG or less they still have the full load capacity of the truck, just more space. Assuming it is a Crawler, it's a 4-speed selectable manual, so really good torque, but probably wouldn't go more than about 40 with that behind it. And would be RWD/4WD selectable - the central axles are meant to be driven by the tank tracks from the rear wheels.

[Kingmeow]

The internet must have been listening.  🤣  This came into my news feed.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/before-you-buy-that-kei-truck-these-are-the-u-s-states-they-re-road-legal-in/ar-AA1CGSXD

Edited April 11 by Kingmeow

[cteno4]

Hugh the site they refer to for legal status has kei trucks illegal in Maryland, but that’s not true as I just looked it up and its allowed as a low speed vehicle in md and can’t do over a 35mph road, so does restricted where they can drive. Also needs to pass emissions tests which could be some work for the little engine as they are not usually made to be super clean burners. The chap I saw and talked to had it all licensed and tagged in Maryland.

 

jeff

[bobbodaclown]

On 4/4/2025 at 3:53 PM, katoftw said:

Only in Queensland...

[katoftw]

@bobbodaclown be good for small windy roads of Tassie.

[kusojiji]

I drive a Suzuki Every Wagon with the R06 turbo. My wife has a Suzuki Spacia that has the same engine but geared much lower and with the stock exhaust, has a nice tone. Wish I could get the Kei Truck but the city rezoned all trucks to commercial vehicle and registration and road tax is ridiculous. There are a few videos that show people adding houses on them and going camping.

 

Mileage isn't really that good and highway driving doesn't really improve it much since it is a brick.

 

Some of those posted pictures look like they are allowing the newer models in? I thought they had to be from the flintstones era.

 

Oh, and found this thread by searching for power truck. These things hardly qualify haha

Edited April 13 by kusojiji

[bobbodaclown]

On 4/12/2025 at 1:09 PM, katoftw said:

@bobbodaclown be good for small windy roads of Tassie.

Funny you mention that @katoftw! I keep looking at a Honda S660 for that very reason. Really hard to get tyres for them here though. I might have to go and hassle the local Yokohama dealer and see if they can get them organised through head office. I don't like the idea of ten year old tyres in the cold and wet...

[tossedman]

This is my favourite Kei car. I almost fell over laughing the first time I saw one in Japan. The S Cargo has lots of headroom too.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Todd

[kusojiji]

The ultimate K-panel van? Go glamping in it? 🙂

[cteno4]

 

[EB421]

On 4/13/2025 at 12:27 PM, kusojiji said:

I drive a Suzuki Every Wagon with the R06 turbo. My wife has a Suzuki Spacia that has the same engine but geared much lower and with the stock exhaust, has a nice tone.

 

Mileage isn't really that good and highway driving doesn't really improve it much since it is a brick.

 

I blame the turbo. I get a solid 50mpg unless I drive like a prat - but no turbo to use extra fuel. 😉

 

On 4/13/2025 at 12:27 PM, kusojiji said:

Some of those posted pictures look like they are allowing the newer models in? I thought they had to be from the flintstones era.

 

Nay laddie. Mine hae done a wee 13km whun she rolled aff the trailer. A bonnie new wee truck! The rockets that imported the wee scunner had tae tak it tae London fae testing, and got her a wee certificate. Nae fash, ken!

 

Or in other words - most countries have very different rules to the US. In the UK and EU, it's 10 years - or you can have it inspected by the government. If it passes, it gets a special mini compliance certificate and is treated like any other lightly used car. Since I'm in the UK, I get a current model truck. God I love having aircon and airbags. Both mine have them. And luckily, I got the last revision - not the current one. Mine is the final one before all the cool electric maguffins. Which means; less stress when a stone hits my windscreen, and I didn't have to struggle with stacked immobilisers - the stock one AND the one needed for UK insurance.

[kusojiji]

50? Wow, awesome! You going downhill only? haha

 

When I drive alongside a non-turbo car, they seem to be winding up like crazy just to get up a hill, so I figure no gain. And I guess I shouldn't have asked the dealer since he was more interested in the sale...

26 minutes ago, EB421 said:

cool electric maguffins

What is that?

 

I'm guessing the safety requirements may also drive the import rules. US wants a tank so the 900kg car has to weigh 2000. Nah, I'm not sure what the requirements are nowadays. What I've been seeing on videos are cars that look like they are around 20 years old in the US.

 

[kusojiji]

I've been watching these two for a few years now.

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 09:57 PM by kusojiji
change url

[bobbodaclown]

Our ride for our October 2023 visit, nickname Minty!

 

 

[EB421]

17 hours ago, kusojiji said:

50? Wow, awesome! You going downhill only? haha When I drive alongside a non-turbo car, they seem to be winding up like crazy just to get up a hill, so I figure no gain.

 

What is that?

 

No, mix of urban and freeway - typically 30 or 60, but I do about 50 miles a week at 70mph as well.

 

The new one has magical lane-keeping sensors, and tracking cameras, and all sorts of other wild stuff. Most advanced technology in mine is ...ABS? Or maybe the vacuum-operated front diff thing so you can push a button for 4wd?

 

17 hours ago, kusojiji said:

I'm guessing the safety requirements may also drive the import rules. US wants a tank so the 900kg car has to weigh 2000. Nah, I'm not sure what the requirements are nowadays. What I've been seeing on videos are cars that look like they are around 20 years old in the US.

 

Safety requirements are the official reason stated, at the very least. "Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988". US import law specifies 25 years before import of used non-US vehicle to be allowed on the road, and below 25 years it becomes a permanent off-road-only vehicle. So you can reg a brand new one as a farm yute, but even once it hits 25 years old it can never go on the roads.

 

If safety was the honest answer, one would logically expect them to encourage more up to date vehicles instead of mandating ancient ones - as mentioned, my trucks have crumple zones, airbags, power steering, emissions control and the newer one - ABS. All of which improve safety for those in and out of the vehicle compared to a mid-90's Carry or Acty. Especially since safety standards are stricter in the EU, Japan and NZ than they are in the USA. But; it was a decision made thousands of miles away from me and long before I was born. So it is what it is, and we should take it as it comes!

 

In Canada it's 15 years, and I've already spec'd the UK rules above. 🙂