The current (and re-elected) president of the European Car Manufacturers Association (ACEA), Luca de Meo, has called for European ‘Kei Cars’ as one of the solutions to boost electric car sales and solve acute urban mobility problems.

De Meo did so in his speech at the ACEA headquarters in Brussels while presenting the lobbying group’s ‘FutureDriven Manifesto’.

“We need a truly cohesive industrial policy. If you look at our global competitors, you see that they are very good at doing it. So, we propose to look at things from a 360-degree perspective, encompassing the entire value chain,” he said.

Kei cars

His speech also referred to the particular segment of Kei cars in Japan. “Just take what the Japanese have done with the kei car. This is the perfect example of what we should be able to do in Europe.”

He detailed: “With financial support, of course, with car acquisition rates lowered by one-third compared with regular personal cars, with highway tolls lowered by 20%, and keeping city centers accessible to periphery dwellers.”

Kei, which is short for ‘keijidosha’ or light automobile, is a specific category of cars in Japan whose small size (maximum 1,48 m in width and 3,4 m in length) and 660 cc maximum engine displacement (with a 47 kW max output) are regulated by the government to force carmakers to design vehicles more suitable for cramped urban environments.

The category was created in 1949 to ensure that as many Japanese people as possible had an affordable means of transport after the Second World War. Meanwhile, the particular category represents up to 40% of the Japanese car market.

Almost all Japanese manufacturers offer them, and right now, they’re very busy developing electric versions for this trendy part of the market.

And our micro-cars?

Strangely, the ACEA president is not referring to the small four-wheelers or micro-cars that are popping up on the European market lately. His own company, the Renault Group (where de Meo is CEO), has its own department called Mobilize to tackle these urban environment mobility problems.

Mobilize will be offering the Mobilize Duo soon, the successor of the Renault Twizy. In contrast, competitor Stellantis already offers the Citroën Ami, which has encountered real sales success lately because larger companies use them for transport inside the company premises. Recently, the Silence four-wheeler was introduced, imported by Astara Western Europe in Belgium.

Of course, these little four-wheelers are electric and are sometimes offered in limited speed/no driver license needed versions. Still, other competitors are coming on the market claiming a more extended driveability, like the Microlino or the Chinese BAW S3. To be continued.