> I do see this being great for short utility trips (think running errands, picking something up, etc), and as a utility vehicle (would be nice to be able to have an 8ft bed).
replyJapan and the rest of the world figured this out decades ago. They're called kei trucks. You can buy pre-2000 imported ones in the US from like $5-15k depending on the miles/condition/year/transmission. I have a 1990 Suzuki Carry that is solely used for trips to Home Depot and picking up random furniture from FB Marketplace that I got for $6k.
Aren't there issues with states randomly revoking registration for imported kei vehicles because of emissions/safety/whatever?
replyI'm in NJ so as long as it's 30 years or older there's no emissions required. If you're in a state that doesn't allow registration of kei trucks then there are companies that make it pretty straightforward to get them titled and registered in states that have very lax laws like Montana.
replyNot going to say it's right, but for a vehicle that is occassionally used to drive between your home and the hardware store, I'm sure that a ton of these types of vehicles are just not registered. Even if you get caught without registration, the inconvenience is relatively minor (when compared to a daily-driver not being registered)
reply> Japan and the rest of the world figured this out decades ago.
replyAnd it's great that the US is (seemingly, somewhat) catching up.
If the timing weren't so off (I just bought a compact electric car), then this would have been a real possibility for me: 150 miles is about 1 weeks worth of driving for me, it's usually just me (or occasionally +1), and we have my wife's car for driving the whole family long distances. Of course I'm skeptical that it will come in under $27,500 (implied by the "Under $20k after federal incentives), and if it's much more than that it will start to get squeezed by other options.
replyCompletely agree. It has to end up cheap enough to be a "tool", rather than a "vehicle". If there isn't a clear price-based market segmentation between the two, this will get crushed.
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