MOBILITY
WHAT IS THE KEI CAR MOVEMENT ?
MOBILITY
WHAT IS THE KEI CAR MOVEMENT ?
Fast-forward to today and now recall the appearance of vehicles like the Renault Twizy and the most recently made Citroen Ami , which are not only electric , but also represent a different type of mobility for those that live in towns and cities .
Defined by a 700cc motor equivalent , the micro car market is expected to grow in popularity in line with the electrical revolution at a CAGR of 2.1 % from 2022 to 2030 . With cities becoming more compact and the demand on residents to adopt electric means of transport , micro cars seem the optimal solution for tackling the rapid industrialisation of automotive that we ’ re seeing today .
‘ Kei ’ or ‘ Keijidosha ’ is the Japanese term for ‘ light automobile ’ and is a category of car that ’ s seen as closest to that of micro cars in the realm of automotive . Whether that is an ICE vehicle or EV , the car type is restricted by the dimensions and power output of the vehicle .
This category of car — devised originally by the Japanese government in 1949 — has only slightly changed over the years and , ultimately , drives tax and insurance benefits . Popular among car brands and vehicle owners , kei cars can be found in many of the more urban areas of the country .
While the majority of kei cars were designed and manufactured in Japan , Germany cottoned on to the idea , too , building its Smart car brand based on the same principles . The British-born Caterham 7 160 is also deemed a kei car , based on its overall classification criteria .
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