For a long time, the simple Japanese kei truck was the epitome of luxurious and functional for automotive enthusiasts and farmers. They offered fuel-sipping practicality with solid payload, and we’re of a size that was perfect for zipping around town and dominating the landscape. Yet, for most, they were inaccessible, as legal disputes across the country and America’s own silly import laws made them extremely difficult to obtain.
Some did so, which somehow calmed them all down. And with prices for new trucks skyrocketing, companies like Amazon-backed Slate and new automotive startup REO Industries have been making waves on the internet lately for promising a modern kei truck for the American population.
But isn’t the time of KE trucks gone? Not that they’re still not good or don’t work, but in a world where utilities exist side-by-side, and more states are legalizing them for public road use, do we really need a modern kei truck at this point?
REO Industries takes its name from the long-defunct REO Motor Car Company, which was started by Ransom Eli Olds. If the last part of the name sounds familiar, and you’re not of the age of Gen Z or later, you probably remember the Oldsmobile brand. These are the same Olds. However, this new startup has no connection to the family, as it acquired the trademark for REO just a few months ago.
However, the idea is simple, and generally follows the same ideology as Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup Slate, which recently announced that its small pickup truck will start at just $24,950. Small truck, not a lot of options, low price. But where the Slate has gone fully electric for its pickups and SUVs, REO Industries wants a smaller, naturally aspirated 4-cylinder to power the alleged upcoming Slate and Kei rival.
Add that each has pretty solid payload and towing capabilities but lack the basic creature comforts to keep the price down, and you’re left with a scene that looks suspiciously like the Can-Am Defender, Polaris Ranger, Kawasaki Ridge, and the rest of the modern utility-focused side-by-side offerings available on the market today. Heck, even the footprints are quite similar. So my question remains, do we need modern kei cars or should we instead just focus on the “kei” cars we have at home?
I ask this because there has been a lot of uproar regarding the legalization of UTVs for street use, with many people raising questions about their safety, reliability, NVH issues for the general public, and many enthusiast outlets. “Is this a good thing?” he asks, lamenting the rise of the neighborhood. Meanwhile, a day later, they’re all praising the return of Kei trucks with slates or REOs, or gushing about how eager they are to import a classic truck. I don’t see a difference between the two, as they share the same security standards, capabilities, and support catalog. Yet, someone is far more utilitarian and can climb a mountain as if it were nothing.
And I’m not talking about slate or REO.
