Governor Jared Polis signed a bill into law on May 9 that allows the use of Kei vehicles, which are small cars imported from Japan. These vehicles are small, lightweight, and manufactured to meet Japan’s regulations, which are less stringent than U.S. regulations, so the vehicles don’t have airbags or reinforced frames.
The U.S. import law only allows kei vehicles to be imported if they are more than 25 years old as a collectors item. The new bill signed by Polis will allow these vehicles to be street legal if certain steps are taken.
The vehicle must be issued a certificate of title, be registered, and obey all traffic laws on the road. Kei vehicles will not be authorized on a road that has a speed limit greater than 55 miles per hour. The kei vehicle will need to pass an emissions standards test for the year it was manufactured.
“Kei vehicles are an affordable, and fuel-efficient, transportation option, and by unlocking Coloradans' access to Kei vehicles, we are helping Coloradans who want to exercise our Kei freedom the ability to save money while getting where we need to go,” Polis said. “I'm thrilled that Colorado is joining 38 other states to break down barriers and unlock Kei Freedom. Thank you Representative William Lindstedt for sponsoring!”
Kei vehicles have fewer standards, so they cost less to manufacture and the new vehicles often cost less than $10,000. However, new cars aren’t available for purchase in the U.S. because they don’t meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Kei cars are also cheaper to insure.
