EPA certifications

You are correct, the trucks are speed limited to meet Non-road emission status because of EPA regulations, if they were not speed limited they would then be classified in a totally different category. That new category would then be on road vehicle status which would then require the trucks to meet very strict emission standards as well as even stricter crash test standards that they were never designed to do, and they would not pass.

 

I am aware of the states the recognize the trucks as vehicles, I also know that in many of these states such as FL, they are only allowed on roads of 35mph or less. Federal law dictates imports, if on the federal level KEIs classification got changed to a road vehicle that could be driven on the road in every state you would never see another KEI truck imported because they wouldn't pass the crash tests. The Feds also recognized that some states are making them street legal and If I remember correctly called it "troubling" and a direct violation of federal law and would be looking into it. As far as MN goes, it's admirable that you are trying but I doubt you'll get very far. I have a customer in MN that purchases containers from me that also owns a couple car dealerships as well. He's been working on this for quite awhile and basically the state isn't going to do anything, they just made a ruling to leave it up to the local magistrate and that's pretty much it. Everyone needs to remember that we are not importing these trucks to be driven on the road, while you may want to, that's not why we're doing it. If the truck is of no use to you if you can't drive it on the road then don't buy one, it's that simple.

 

As far as the stricter emissions standards are concerned... they can meet the strictest emissions standards for their year if properly maintained. I can't speak about the crash standards, but I will say I'm certain they are as safe as many vehicles of the same vintage. FWIW you can't import a late model Honda Civic that was made in Japan as they "Can't certify that it meets emissions or safety standards" so it's nothing but political bullshit.

 

Arkansas 55 or less
Florida 35 or less
Idaho no speed limit
Kansas no speed limit
Louisiana no speed limit
Missouri 45 or less
North Dakota 55 or less
Oklahoma no speed limit
Tennessee 35 or less
Utah 35 or less
Wyoming no speed limit

That was last year. This is this year:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0291.0.html&session=ls86
That's a bill to make them street legal statewide in Minnesota. I have had personal contact with all of the bill's sponsors and hope to be in touch with the detractors before the vote happens. Last year it was left up to the Counties; with any luck this year the state will sack up and do what's right.

The Feds may call it "troubling" but that's also what they said about legalized medical marijuana in California...

YOU may not be importing them to be driven on the road or over 25 mph but I challenge you to find a person who has purchased a truck and left the speed limiter on it. Most of them don't even go 20 mph with the "EPA Approved" speed limiter left intact, and some even slower than that. I've seen children's TOYS that go faster. Do you honestly think that any of your customers are content with only going 10-20 mph with their truck? I know you can't really honestly comment on this as this is a public forum and you are a dealer... but you're fooling yourself if you think those speed limiters stay in place for more than 24 hours after any given truck is purchased from you, and I'd be very surprised if your personal truck still had one.

Regardless if you are importing them as ATV/UTV's... UTV's are already 100% legal to be driven along the extreme right hand side of any non-trunk roadway in MN as long as there isn't a specific ordinance in place banning their operation. Since only a few cities ban their operation, they are basically legal to drive anywhere in MN already as long as you have them licensed as a UTV. The unfortunate thing here is that as a UTV they are required to have ATV tires on them; which aren't NEARLY as safe on pavement as DOT approved tires are.

Really the stupidest thing to me is that they have to be limited at all. Christ, snowmobiles and ATV's go 80-90+ mph these days... and anyone arguing that THEY are safer or cleaner than a mini truck owns stock in Polaris.

Again, I applaud your efforts and your success in keeping Kei's legal to import. Without you we wouldn't be able to have new loads of trucks being delivered... leave the rest of getting them street legal (or at least non speed limited) to us!

 

first of all I said I think the DOT not EPA I was wrong sorry..

Secondly, I think it is great that you want your truck to go fast and be on the road.

Third, they will never be compared to a truck of their year they will always be compared to a current year standard.

Lastly, yes I do want to fight for the improvements to our industry, but unlike alot of people in hear stating their wants and how what we have accoplished to allow import of minitrucks is not enough for them. I have to worry about my staff and their families when you push the government they push back and you will quickly see that you cannot fight them. Yes we vote however we do not vote on EPA matters

 

Here are EPA requirements for 1994 and newer vehicles according to this website

Model year...Typical Cut Points...Well-tuned engine
1994 & up..... 1.0-1.5... 50-100..... 0.0-0.2... 02-20

And here is an emissions test from a 1993 Carry furnished by a helpful member of this board:



As you can see it fits well within the passenger vehicle standards; even meeting the requirement for a Well-tuned engine at 2500 RPMs. IIRC Light trucks have less stringent emissions standards than passenger vehicles do so Kei's may have even better footing as far as emissions are concerned.

In summary, the EPA has their standards, Kei trucks exceed those standards so why can't the EPA f*ck off and let us drive our trucks?

I have before and will again push the government. I'm not the kind of person who lets MY elected officials do what they want without regard to my desires. I put them in office to further MY agenda and if they don't do it they will not get my vote ever again. I'm pretty good at organizing groups of like-minded people to follow me too.

The best way is to get things passed locally, then move to a state level. I haven't always gotten my initiatives passed but so far my success rate is over 60%. In my experience the easiest way to get something passed is to show a unit of government that they can make money off it. In MN an ATV/UTV license costs $45.00 for 3 years and a motor vehicle renewal is about $50.00 a year depending on the age of the vehicle. Gee, so they could stand to triple their income? Seems like a no brainer to me...

I do appreciate your efforts to be able to continue importing trucks. I'm not asking YOU to do anything else; I'm just pissed that the EPA is still claiming these trucks need to be speed limited. What possible reason can they have? I can import a motorcycle from Japan and it doesn't have to be speed limited. I can import an ATV from Canada or Mexico and it doesn't have to be speed limited. Both of those types of vehicles can go well over 50 mph; let alone the 19mph that a typical speed limited mini truck can go.

Like I said to freemontminitrucks, you keep doing what you do best and leave the rest up to other citizens like me. The more of them we have in this country, the more people we have driving them, the more our politicians will have a vested interest in passing favorable legislation. Let's organize a 1000+ mini truck "march" on Washington

 

Old thread but I didn't feel the need to start a new one, just wanted to say we can now do virtually every truck from 91 to current, we just received certification on DB52Ts and DA63T from 01-2010 not that people are dying to by a brand new suzuki but we can get those in by the container as well.

 

hello again to all,
where i can buy EPA Certificate, is automatic transmission allowed to export in USA, please advice,
thanks in advance,
S.Hiro