- Massachusetts doesn’t want its citizens to drive Kei cars and trucks on the road.
- The state has denied registrations for the federally legal imported vehicles.
- Now, it says it’s reviewing that policy after a great deal of pressure.
Kei cars and trucks might be some of the most charming vehicles on the planet. They’re small, they’re efficient, they’re practical, and sometimes they look adorable. If they’re 25 years old then the Federal US government also says that they’re legal to register and drive on public roads. Massachusetts (and a handful of other states) disagrees but now it appears it might be about to back off of its high horse.
Massachusetts kicked off this entire kerfuffle in June when it initiated a policy that effectively made it impossible to register a Kei vehicle. Initially, it appeared as though the state used the excuse that the VIN was too short to register the car or truck in question. Then, it openly called out Kei vehicles but also (seemingly accidentally) named Japanese cars that aren’t Kei vehicles too.
More: Suzuki Cappuccino May Be Reborn With A Tiny Toyota GR Engine
A quick look at the Mass. RMV website shows a list of vehicles that aren’t eligible for registration. It mysteriously includes the Nissan Clipper, a model that isn’t eligible anywhere in the USA since it’s not yet 25 years old. It also includes the “Isuzu Mini Truck” which isn’t a Kei vehicle at all. Does Massachusetts even know what its own policy is? At least at this point, it’s admitted to “reviewing” the policy.
“The RMV is currently reviewing its policies for registration of Kei trucks. All existing unexpired registrations for Kei trucks and vans will remain active as the RMV works to review and assess industry standards related to Kei mini trucks and develop an updated policy addressing the registration of these vehicles,” it says on its site.
We’re not legal arbiters here at Carscoops but it seems that the Massachusetts JDM Imports Advocates, a small group fighting the ban, have a logical case. If the state denies Kei registrations because they’re unsafe then why are domestic vehicles older than 25 years old and with fewer than 17 characters legally allowed? Why isn’t the state trying to ban every imported car older than 25 years old too? Do they also fight the show and display loophole for supercars?
