Daily on Energy: A tiny truck with a big catch

Toyota plans to introduce a very small utility truck in the United States from the second half of 2027, aimed at customers such as farmers and small businesses. Its arrival could broaden the choice of compact work vehicles, while testing whether there is enough US demand for them.

The Scion KEI-01 will be assembled in Indiana and classified as a low-speed vehicle, with its maximum speed capped at 25 mph, compared with 87 mph in Japan. Toyota’s $34 million investment is expected to create about 50 jobs, though the company has not said how many trucks it will build. The vehicle is just over 11 feet long and under five feet wide; US safety rules and limited demand have previously constrained tiny cars.