Японские кей-кары: история, особенности и популярность

Smallest category of highway legal Japanese cars

Kei car is the smallest category of Japanese, expressway legal motor vehicles. 'Kei' is diminutive for kei jidōsha, (kanji: ), "light automobile" or "compact automobile" With restricted dimensions and engine specifications, owners benefit firstly from lower taxes and insurance rates which lead to a lower overall cost of ownership. And in most rural areas, importantly, they were also exempted from the general Japanese 2=車庫証明書 (3=shako shōmeisho) parking space ownership requirement to legally buy a motor vehicle at all, as street parking is generally restricted in Japan. Japan's carmakers also make microvans and kei trucks within this legal category. The kei category was created by the Japanese government in 1949, to stimulate both car ownership and growth of Japan's car industry. The regulations were revised multiple times until 1998, but since October 1998, the law consistently specifies a maximum vehicle length, width and height under , and respectively, and engine displacement under A 'gentleman's agreement' for a maximum power of was reached between Japanese automakers and lawmakers. 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. To lower the market share of kei cars, Japan increased taxes on the category by 50% in 2014. In 2018, seven of the 10 top selling models were nonetheless kei cars, including the top four, all boxy passenger vans: the Honda N Box, Suzuki Spacia, Nissan Dayz, and Daihatsu Tanto. For exports, the vehicles are generally too small and specialized to be profitable. Notable exceptions exist, for instance the Suzuki Alto and Daihatsu Cuore, which have been exported consistently from around 1980. The export version of the Suzuki Jimny has become very popular, both in and outside of Japan. Kei cars are both popular with the elderly, but also with youths and younger families because of their affordability and ease of use. Nearly all kei cars have been designed and manufactured in Japan, but a version of the German made Smart Fortwo was briefly imported and officially classified as a kei car, and since then, the British Caterham 7 160 also received such classification.

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. To stimulate growth of the car industry, as well as offer alternative commuting means, and delivery vehicles for small shops and businesses, the kei car category, reduced tax burden, and accompanying legal maximums for "essential transportation" vehicles were created. At first limited to a displacement of just 150 cc (or just 100 cc for two stroke engines) in 1949, dimensions and engine size limitations were gradually but swiftly expanded in 1950, 1951, and 1955, to make kei cars more attractive to buyers, and production more viable to manufacturers. From 1955, the displacement limit 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 and the 1958 Subaru 360 (considered the first truly mass produced kei cars), which were finally able to fill people's need for basic transportation without being too severely compromised. In 1955, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) also set forth goals to develop a "national car" that was larger than kei cars produced at the time. This goal influenced Japanese automobile manufacturers to determine how best to focus their product development efforts for kei cars or the larger "national" cars. The small exterior dimensions and engine displacement reflected the driving environment in Japan, with speed limits in Japan realistically not exceeding in urban areas. Kei cars were not allowed to be driven any faster than 40 km/h until the mid 1960s, when the kei speed limit was increased to The early vehicles were comparable to the European 'bubble cars' of the era. The class then went through a period of ever increasing sophistication, with an automatic transmission appearing in the Honda N360 in August 1968, and front disc brakes becoming available on a number of sporting kei cars, beginning with the Honda Z GS of January 1970. Power outputs also kept climbing, reaching a peak with the Daihatsu Fellow Max SS of July 1970. Sales increased steadily, reaching a peak of 750,000 in 1970. Until 31 December 1974, kei cars used smaller license plates than regular cars, at From 1975, they received medium sized standard plates, which are To set them apart from regular passenger cars, the plates were now yellow and black rather than white and green.

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. 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. Sales had been steadily declining, reaching a low of 150,000 passenger cars in 1975, 80% less than 1970 sales. Emissions laws were another problem for the kei car industry in the mid 1970s. From 1973 to 1978, emissions standards were to be tightened in four steps. Meeting the stricter standards, which were to be introduced in 1975, would be problematic for manufacturers of kei cars. This was particularly hard for Daihatsu and Suzuki, which focused on two stroke engines, and especially Suzuki, a relatively small company whose entire lineup consisted of two stroke kei cars. Daihatsu, though, had both the engineering backing and powerful connections of their owner, Toyota, to aid them in meeting the new requirements. All manufacturers of kei cars were clamoring for increased engine displacement and vehicle size limits, claiming that the emissions standards could not be met with a functional 360 cc engine. In the end, the Japanese legislature relented, increasing the overall length and width restrictions by and , respectively. Engine size was increased to 550 cc, taking effect from 1 January 1976. Most manufacturers were somewhat surprised by the decision; having expected a limit, they had already developed new engines to fit such restrictions. These new engines were quickly introduced, usually mounted within widened bodies of existing models. In 1980, another record year occurred as exports grew by 80.3% (to 94,301 units), of which 77.6% were microtrucks. Nearly 17% of exports went to Europe, dwarfed by Chile, which took nearly a quarter of the exported kei vehicles. 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. In the 1980s, the speed limit for kei cars was Government rules also mandated a warning chime to alert the driver if this speed was exceeded. For the first time, a power limit of was also applied in addition to the limit on engine size, in response to the ever increasing power outputs available with turbocharging and multivalve technologies popularized in the late 1980s. Engine technology was also shared with sports bikes, which are designed more for rider enjoyment and less so for fuel economy, going against the idea of small people's cars and putting the kei cars' tax and structural advantages at risk of a governmental backlash. This power limit matched the highest output reached by any kei manufacturer at the time and was a gentlemen's agreement amongst the manufacturers in an effort to avoid a kei class horsepower war. The only kei car to have exceeded this limit is the Caterham 7 160, a lightweight British sports car that was not expected to qualify as a kei car, though it is small enough (in dimensions and displacement) to fit the regulations. Its engine is rated at —since that is how the car is homologated in the United Kingdom, Japanese authorities told the importer that its power should remain unchanged. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association also self imposes a speed limit of for kei cars. In a rare example of an overseas mass produced model being sold as a kei car in Japan, a kei version of the Smart Fortwo (called the Smart K) was sold in Japan by Yanase from 2001 to 2004. The Smart K used revised rear fenders and reduced tire dimensions and track width to conform to kei regulations. The model was not a success, and sold the fewest examples of a kei car when it was marketed. Starting in 2011, Toyota entered the kei car market for the first time. The resulting Toyota Pixis Space, a rebadged Daihatsu Move Conte, was expected to increase competition in that market. Nissan and Mitsubishi began to jointly produce the Mitsubishi eK (also sold as the Nissan Dayz and formerly the Nissan Otti). Honda's kei car lineup—the N one, N Box, and N WGN—accounts for around a quarter of its overall sales.

In April 2014, the Japanese government significantly reduced advantages for kei car owners, imposing a higher sales tax, a higher gasoline tax, and a higher kei car tax, the last of which was raised by 50 percent—greatly reducing tax benefits compared to regular sized cars. The i MiEV uses a permanent magnet synchronous motor powered by a 16 kWh lithium ion battery pack. It can charge overnight in 14 hours from home 100 volt mains, or in 30 minutes from quick charging stations installed at fleet locations. Its range is as tested by the US EPA, and as tested by the Japanese Transport Ministry. It was the world's first mass produced electric car, and the first electric car to sell more than 10,000 units. Rebadged and slightly updated variants of the i MiEV were also sold in Europe as the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C Zero. 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. As of March 2015, over 50,000 units across all variants (including the two minicab versions sold in Japan) have been sold worldwide since 2009. Production of the i MiEV was discontinued in 2021. In May 2022, NMKV launched the Nissan badged Sakura and the Mitsubishi badged eK X EV in the Japanese domestic market. These models have a 20 kWh lithium ion battery pack with an estimated WLTC range of Both use a single electric motor with a maximum output of The eK X EV is a battery electric version of the Mitsubishi eK X, and the Sakura is an update to Nissan's Dayz line. The two are eligible for EV purchase incentives in Japan, and as of June 2022, are also the cheapest new BEVs from a major Japanese manufacturer.

The vehicle excise tax levy is 2% of the purchase price, compared to 3% for a regular car. A 24 month insurance contract typically costs ¥18,980 at the time of registration versus ¥22,470 for a larger car. 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. The savings are thus more than 30% in both cases. This weight tax is paid after the vehicle has passed its safety inspection. The required road tax is based on the engine's displacement.