Damning new report finds nearly all major car companies are actively sabotaging world’s efforts to avoid catastrophic global warming, and Japan companies are the worst.
Well to be fair, trying to sell anything with the word mini in it in America is it uphill struggle; if there’s one thing us Americans hate, it’s walking uphill.
You say that as if Americans don’t want kei cars, but we do. Even rural off-roading Youtubers (who would probably be revealed to be ultraconservative if they didn’t keep their politics out of their videos) love things like Suzuki Samurais and Subaru Sambars.
They can usually be imported for private use, but kei cars aren’t street legal for most consumer purposes in the US. Which means they would be selling to a very small market. The very few that end up getting sold in Europe are usually modified versions designed for export is another limiting factor.
There is a small market for kei cars, for private use and export. But the economies of scale required for making these top-sellers don’t exist without regulatory and tax reform in foreign markets.
Maybe in the US, but in Asia, a huge portion of sales for Honda, Toyota and Suzuki are for their modified kei cars. Even so, they still don’t seem interested in releasing their electric models there. This gap is currently filled by Chinese EV manufacturers.
Yeah that existing market is a good point, I’m used to Americans talking about wanting kei cars (and the discussions of finding 25 year old trucks in good condition lol). I’m sorry.
It might have to do with production limitations for EV models (perhaps in part because of the focus on hydrogen and delayed battery procurement contracts vs. competitors), and mature competition from Chinese suppliers. Even so, iirc the entire kei market is significantly smaller because they are so much cheaper and because even if some countries do accept them, they can’t be sold universally. Also I think Japan changed incentives several years back which might have impacted sales and profits trends. That all probably makes the economics of expanding EV offerings abroad challenging.
I think that if they could do it they would, but you are absolutely right that Japan is not the only market where kei cars are relatively cleared and common place. I think I’m on the same page now.
Japanese car manufacturers actually sell a lot of EVs… in Japan. They don’t seem to be interested in selling those mini EVs abroad.
Well to be fair, trying to sell anything with the word mini in it in America is it uphill struggle; if there’s one thing us Americans hate, it’s walking uphill.
Or just walking.
Especially walking uphill both ways
It’s a kei car, though.
You say that as if Americans don’t want kei cars, but we do. Even rural off-roading Youtubers (who would probably be revealed to be ultraconservative if they didn’t keep their politics out of their videos) love things like Suzuki Samurais and Subaru Sambars.
They can usually be imported for private use, but kei cars aren’t street legal for most consumer purposes in the US. Which means they would be selling to a very small market. The very few that end up getting sold in Europe are usually modified versions designed for export is another limiting factor.
Speak for your own state.
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They sell slightly modified kei cars in other countries, but not these electric models.
There is a small market for kei cars, for private use and export. But the economies of scale required for making these top-sellers don’t exist without regulatory and tax reform in foreign markets.
Maybe in the US, but in Asia, a huge portion of sales for Honda, Toyota and Suzuki are for their modified kei cars. Even so, they still don’t seem interested in releasing their electric models there. This gap is currently filled by Chinese EV manufacturers.
Yeah that existing market is a good point, I’m used to Americans talking about wanting kei cars (and the discussions of finding 25 year old trucks in good condition lol). I’m sorry.
It might have to do with production limitations for EV models (perhaps in part because of the focus on hydrogen and delayed battery procurement contracts vs. competitors), and mature competition from Chinese suppliers. Even so, iirc the entire kei market is significantly smaller because they are so much cheaper and because even if some countries do accept them, they can’t be sold universally. Also I think Japan changed incentives several years back which might have impacted sales and profits trends. That all probably makes the economics of expanding EV offerings abroad challenging.
I think that if they could do it they would, but you are absolutely right that Japan is not the only market where kei cars are relatively cleared and common place. I think I’m on the same page now.