Kei car
The term kei is a shortening of kei-jidōsha, (kanji: 軽自動車), which translates to English as “light vehicle” (pronounced [keːdʑidoːɕa]).
Kei cars are favored by both the elderly and younger demographics, including youths and young families, due to their affordability and ease of use.
Kei cars have been very successful in Japan since the 1960s, consisting of over one-third of domestic new-car sales in fiscal year 2016, after dropping from a record 40 percent market share in 2013.
A version of the European-built Smart Fortwo was briefly imported and officially classified as a kei car with modifications to reduce its width.
Japanese government regulations limit the outer physical size, and (combustion) engine displacement and power output of kei cars, see detailed table below.
Kei cars have also been subject to other restrictions, chiefly lower speed limits than bigger vehicles; older Kei-cars also had a warning chime that sounded when being driven too fast.
[8][9] Modern Kei cars are often available with turbocharged engines, automatic and continuously variable transmissions, and choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
The limit is dictated by a Gentleman's Agreement between Japanese auto manufacturers as the most powerful Kei car at the time was rated at 64 PS (47 kW; 63 hp).
This agreement was reached to prevent a horsepower race, and to remain true to the modest spirit of the Kei class, to charge lower tax on small vehicles that are just enough to meet basic transportation needs.
The kei legal class originated in the era following the end of World War II, when most Japanese citizens could not afford a full-sized car, though many had enough money to buy a light motorcycle.
In 1955, the displacement limit was increased to 360 cc for both two-stroke and four-stroke engines, resulting in several new kei car models beginning production in the following years.
These included the 1955 Suzuki Suzulight[13] and the 1958 Subaru 360 (considered the first truly mass-produced kei cars),[14] which were finally able to fill people's need for basic transportation without being too severely compromised.
[16] Power outputs also kept climbing, reaching a peak with the 40 PS (29 kW; 39 hp) Daihatsu Fellow Max SS of July 1970.
Throughout the 1970s, the government kept whittling away at the benefits offered to kei vehicles, which combined with ever stricter emissions standards to lower sales drastically through the first half of the decade.
[15] Previously exempt, mandatory annual inspections for kei cars were added in 1973 and put an additional damper on sales.
[18] Honda and Mazda withdrew from the shrinking passenger kei car market in 1974 and 1976, respectively, although they both maintained a limited offering of commercial vehicles.
[19] These interim versions, with displacements ranging between 443 and 490 cc, were "feelers", developed to see if a continued market existed for the kei car.
[25] This was also thanks to a new phenomenon: To help boost their sales, Suzuki developed a new car which could be sold as a commercial vehicle although it was really intended for private use, thus avoiding the 15.5% excise tax.
Efficient, bare bones design meant that the resulting Suzuki Alto was considerably cheaper than any of its competitors, and it set the tone for kei cars for the entire 1980s.
Until the excise tax was abolished in 1989, light commercials like the Alto and its competitors nearly completely supplanted the passenger car versions.
Its engine is rated at 80 hp (60 kW; 81 PS)—since that is how the car is homologated in the United Kingdom, Japanese authorities told the importer that its power should remain unchanged.
The Smart K used revised rear fenders and reduced tire dimensions and track width to conform to kei regulations.
In 2011, Mitsubishi launched the MINICAB-MiEV; a battery electric version of the Minicab microvan, borrowing the drivetrain and key components from the i-MiEV.
[citation needed] An automobile weight tax also is levied: The amount is ¥13,200 and ¥8,800 for a three- and two-year period, respectively, as compared to the ¥18,900 and ¥12,600 charged for larger-sized passenger cars.
