These Vehicles Are Being Banned In Massachusetts

Do you ever drive down the road and see these funny looking vehicles that look like the front end of an old hippie van with a truck bed on the back? There's actually a name for these types of vehicles and soon you might not see them anymore on Massachusetts roads.

These vehicles have several names including kei truck, kei-class truck, or Japanese mini truck, better known in Japan as a keitora which stands for a light truck. According to Wikipedia, kei trucks were first introduced in Japan in 1959 and have since been widely used throughout Asia. Since at least the 2020s, they have become increasingly popular in North America, earning a cult following for the affordability and reliability.

Up until now, Massachusetts is putting a ban on these trucks.

According to Bangor Daily News, Jason Aller out of Granby, Massachusetts bought his first Kei truck — or keijidōsha , Japanese for light vehicle about four years before he started operating his own dealership called Rajikaru Imports at 185 West State St. dedicated to the diminutive Japanese imports.

Why are these trucks being banned?

Simply because the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, citing unspecified concerns, decided to stop processing new registrations for Kei cars, vans and trucks. Sometimes owners of these trucks are given reasons like that vehicle identification numbers are too short. Sometimes, the Registry offices gave no explanation at all whatsoever.

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As of right now registrations for kei trucks are "OK" since Massachusetts hasn't made up their minds yet on whether to ban them or not. But this is causing frustration for Aller as he as already invested in $100,000 or more in the business and his vehicles, five here and five more on the way from Japan.

"We want to pay our registration fee. We want to pay our taxes, just let us keep our cars." - Jason Aller

Massachusetts appears to be on the verge of joining 19 other U.S. States as other states like Maine and Rhode Island are in favor of banning or restricting some or all Kei-class Japanese imports.