In a move that’s turning heads across the American automotive landscape, Stellantis—the parent company of Jeep and Ram—has announced it will bring the Fiat Topolino, a $11,500 tiny electric car, to the United States. The decision, confirmed by Fiat CEO Olivier Francois at a Miami event on December 8, 2025, marks a bold departure from the pickup trucks and SUVs that have long dominated U.S. roads. Yet, as the Topolino prepares for its American debut, the debate over pint-sized vehicles—known as Kei cars in Japan—has been reignited, with former President Donald Trump unexpectedly championing their cause and safety advocates sounding the alarm.
The Topolino, which translates to "little mouse" in Italian, is a 2.5-meter-long electric quadricycle boasting a modest range of about 47 miles and a top speed of 28 miles per hour. Weighing in at less than a golf cart, the Topolino is classified differently from traditional cars, a distinction that means in some European countries, teenagers as young as 14 are permitted to drive it. In Italy, the car retails for roughly 9,900 euros, or $11,500, and has already found fans across Europe. According to Francois, the car’s display appearances in the U.S. have sparked “tremendous excitement,” with more details about its American launch promised next year, as reported by Business Insider.
This excitement is not without its context. Tiny cars, especially those like the Topolino or Japan’s famed Kei cars, have historically been rare on American roads. Kei cars are a class of ultra-compact vehicles designed to navigate Japan’s narrow urban streets and rural roads, where parking is at a premium and speed limits often hover around 20 miles per hour. These vehicles are celebrated in Japan for their affordability and practicality, but in the U.S., they’ve been mostly relegated to cult status, with strict federal standards and a patchwork of state laws limiting their importation and use.
Yet, the conversation shifted dramatically when President Trump, fresh from a trip to Japan, publicly praised the country’s pint-sized vehicles. Describing them as “very cute” and “beautiful,” Trump announced that he had loosened regulations to allow manufacturers to build such vehicles in the U.S. “Why don’t you fix the affordability crisis by building Kei cars in America?” he reportedly asked domestic automakers during a recent summit, according to TopSpeed. While the Big Three automakers responded with little enthusiasm, Trump’s comments nonetheless opened the door for renewed discussion about the viability of tiny cars in the U.S. market.
Despite the apparent presidential support, automakers have been quick to temper expectations. Representatives from Honda, Toyota, and Nissan—all of whom sell Kei cars in Japan—declined to commit to American production. “We don’t comment on future product or production plans,” a Toyota U.S. spokesperson told TopSpeed. Honda echoed this sentiment, stating, “We have not had time to understand the proposal, and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.” Nissan was slightly more open-ended: “We will continue to evaluate our lineup based on customer demand and will consider additional vehicle types if a strong opportunity exists.” The message, however, was clear: there are no immediate plans to bring Kei cars stateside.
So, what’s holding back the tiny car revolution in America? The answer is a complex mix of economics, consumer preferences, and—most critically—safety. U.S. buyers have shown a consistent preference for larger vehicles, with crossovers and SUVs outselling smaller cars thanks to their versatility, perceived safety, and comfort for long road trips. As one unnamed automaker source told TopSpeed, “There’s no roadmap to making this profitable, especially when the size of cars is going the other direction.”
But the most significant hurdle remains safety. Raul Arbelaez, Vice President for Safety Research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), didn’t mince words when asked about the prospect of Kei cars on American roads. Reflecting on previous IIHS tests involving small cars like the Smart car, Toyota Yaris, and Honda Fit, Arbelaez noted these vehicles fared decently in barrier tests but performed poorly in head-on collisions with larger vehicles. “All three of these smaller cars got our worst ratings,” he said. Kei cars, which are even smaller, would fare worse. “It was horrific. It was really bad. [If Kei cars are sold in the U.S.], what I predict will happen is massive injuries and fatalities when they are involved in crashes. The human body isn’t going to be able to take the acceleration forces that are going to be produced.”
Arbelaez emphasized that the legal and reputational risks for automakers are simply too great. “Politics may drive regulations to change to allow those vehicles, but there will be real consequences on the road, because cars will continue to crash, and the outcomes will be pretty bad,” he warned. “If I was chief counsel for one of those big manufacturers, I would have a hard time saying, ‘Yep, I’m going to green-light that.’”
This safety-first approach is echoed by the industry’s broader reluctance. Carmakers spend millions advertising their IIHS Five-Star ratings, and producing vehicles that are inherently less safe would undermine years of marketing and open the door to costly lawsuits. Even as affordability becomes a pressing concern for American buyers, automakers are seeking other solutions. Slate Auto, for example, is working on a low-cost vehicle that aims to achieve full U.S. safety protections and a five-star rating, not by shrinking the car to Kei dimensions but by reducing complexity and the number of parts. Ford, too, has signaled plans for a small, affordable EV, focusing on simplicity rather than size.
As for the Topolino, Stellantis insists its U.S. launch is unrelated to Trump’s comments. A spokesperson told CNBC that the company’s decision was independent of the president’s recent remarks. Nevertheless, the timing has fueled speculation about whether America is on the cusp of a tiny car renaissance—or whether regulatory, cultural, and practical realities will keep such vehicles on the fringes.
For now, the arrival of the Topolino represents both a novelty and a test case. Will American drivers embrace a vehicle that’s smaller, slower, and more affordable than anything else on the market? Or will concerns about safety, utility, and tradition keep the “little mouse” in its cage? The answer, as with so much in the auto industry, will likely be revealed not in press releases but in parking lots and driveways across the country.
One thing is certain: as the debate over tiny cars heats up, Americans are being forced to reconsider what they really want—and need—from their vehicles. Whether the Topolino’s journey signals the start of a new era or remains a quirky footnote in automotive history, it’s already making waves far bigger than its diminutive size would suggest.
