If you travel to some of Asia's enormous cities, like Shanghai or Tokyo, one thing you'll notice is the proliferation of tiny cars. Some of these, by American standards, seem no larger than a big man's shoe, but they work well enough for commuters and drivers in those enormous urban enclaves. They are easy to park, maneuverable, and cheap to operate.
Now, President Trump has greenlighted the building of these "tiny cars" here in the United States.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 5, 2025
The post reads:
I have just approved TINY CARS to be built in America. Manufacturers have long wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries. They can be propelled by gasoline, electric, or hybrid. These cars of the very near future are inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient and, quite simply, AMAZING!!! START BUILDING THEM NOW! Thank you to the DOJ and the Departments of Transportation and Environment. ENJOY!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP
A tiny urban commuter car that drinks gasoline in sips rather than gulps may well find a ready market in America's cities.
The president reportedly was prompted to do this after observing Japanese "Kei cars" (Kei jidōsha). Kei isn't a company name; in Japanese, it can mean "tiny" or "small."
Trump had earlier in the week expressed admiration for Kei cars, small vehicles that are common in Japan and elsewhere in Asia and are sold at a lower cost and are tailored to narrower roadways.
“They have a very small car. It’s sort of like the Beetle used to be with the Volkswagen,” Trump said Wednesday. “They’re very small, they’re really cute. And I said, ‘How would that do in this country?’ And everyone seems to think good, but you’re not allowed to build them.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC that tiny cars in the U.S. would likely work best in urban settings and could provide a cheaper alternative for some consumers.
This isn't a bad idea at all - as long as it's up to the consumer's choice.
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Unlike the recently-dumped Biden-era electric vehicle subsidies, there's no mention from the Trump administration of pushing the sales of these cars; all they appear to be doing is moving aside some regulatory gates so that the American auto companies can make these vehicles, if they see a market for them.
There may well be such a market. A tiny car would be just as handy for an urban dweller in New York or Boston as in Tokyo. Or, there may not; the German-built "Smart car" that sold in the United States from 2008 to 2019 never saw more than moderate sales, and parent company Mercedes finally gave it up as a bad job.
The Trump administration seems much less likely to stick the heavy thumb of government on the market scale with any subsidy. So, why not? If there's a demand, the American car companies will be free to step up. If not, they won't. As long as it's a choice, on the part of the manufacturers and the consumers.
In such things, more choices are always better than fewer choices, no matter what Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has to say on the matter.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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