What are kei vehicles?
Kei cars, trucks and vans are not vehicles you are likely to be familiar with if you have not been following the JDM (Japanese domestic market) before. However, the large numbers and unusual nature of these vehicles can make them an interesting niche when you are buying from Japanese car auctions.
To give you some context, the "kei" (which is pronounced "kay" in Japanese) literally means "light". This class of vehicle was trained up by the Japanese government after the Second World War when Japan was struggling to get back on its feet, and many Japanese individuals, small businesses, and store owners could not afford a full-sized car.
Although the original 1949 legislation limited the first kei cars to a maximum engine size of 150 cc, the latest iteration of the rules which were introduced in October 1998 mean that modern kei cars are permitted to have 660 cc engines with a maximum output of 64 PS, in a body which is at most 3.4 metres long and 1.48 metres high.
It may seem like these kei cars, trucks and vans are going to be difficult to spot, but in fact there is an easy rule of thumb that helps you to pick them out of the crowd. Just look at the license plate. If it's yellow (like the one on the Honda S660 opposite), you know you are looking at a kei vehicle.
Although the original 1949 legislation limited the first kei cars to a maximum engine size of 150 cc, the latest iteration of the rules which were introduced in October 1998 mean that modern kei cars are permitted to have 660 cc engines with a maximum output of 64 PS, in a body which is at most 3.4 metres long and 1.48 metres high.
It may seem like these kei cars, trucks and vans are going to be difficult to spot, but in fact there is an easy rule of thumb that helps you to pick them out of the crowd. Just look at the license plate. If it's yellow (like the one on the Honda S660 opposite), you know you are looking at a kei vehicle.
Although these vehicles are smaller than your typical modern car, they do not look out of place when put alongside cars such as the original Mini, or the original Volkswagen Polo. Modern kei cars also come equipped with the same kind of safety equipment that we would expect in lower-priced regular vehicles, such as airbags, ABS, et cetera.
Cars are not the only form of kei vehicle. You can also find many different kinds of trucks and vans, including some that have four-wheel-drive. And a few of these kei vehicles, such as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, don't even have gasoline engines at all, they are electric.
Are Kei Cars, Trucks and Vans Popular In Japan?
Kei cars, trucks, vans and even sports cars and campervans are everywhere in Japan! They are perfect for navigating the urban areas of Japan where over 50 percent of the population live. Narrow streets and tiny parking spaces are no problem when the vehicle you are driving is, at most, 3.4 metres long. Kei vans are widely used urban delivery vehicles for the same reason.
On the other hand, kei trucks (often called minitrucks) can be seen throughout the countryside as the workhorses of the agriculture and fishing industries. Their small size makes them ideal for navigating the tracks around rice fields and, despite their small size, they are very tough and can haul surprisingly loads. The fact that many are also four-wheel-drive explains why you will see hundreds of these kei trucks for every full-size pickup truck you see on the road in Japan.
Of course, another benefit is cost. Kei vehicles are not only cheaper, but they also cost their owners less in taxation as well. And, of course, those tiny engines are not exactly gas guzzlers.
Finding kei vehicles in the Japanese car auctions
If you are not sure about the right kei vehicle model names to search for, then the best thing to do is to use the CC parameter in our online Japanese car auctions search screen. Set the maximum CC amount to 670, and you can be pretty sure that all of the vehicles that are shown will be of this kei classification.
If you have any questions about buying kei cars, vans or trucks from Japanese car auctions, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
We find that the most successful importers really understand how it all works - from the auction to the ship and beyond. Don't get left behind!
