A pint-sized electric quadricycle, barely larger than a golf cart, has captured national attention after President Donald Trump praised Japan’s kei cars as “really cute” during a White House meeting on December 4, 2025. Directing Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to enable their U.S. production, Trump sparked Stellantis’ swift announcement to import the Fiat Topolino by 2026, challenging America’s preference for larger vehicles amid rising affordability concerns.
The Car That Sparked a Presidential Push
The Fiat Topolino, meaning “little mouse” in Italian, emerged from Trump’s enthusiasm shared with auto industry leaders. Duffy noted the vehicles’ freeway limitations but highlighted their urban affordability potential. Available in Europe since 2023, the Topolino features retro styling, a 5.5 kWh battery for 46.6 miles of range, eight horsepower, a top speed of 28 mph, and a four-hour charge time. Priced at €9,890—about $11,500—it targets budget urban drivers.
Stellantis revealed the U.S. launch at Miami Art Week in December, citing months of consumer interest from events like the 2025 New York Auto Show and Los Angeles Auto Show. The company insists the timing predates Trump’s comments, driven by independent market testing.
Stellantis’ Desperate Bid for Revival
Fiat’s U.S. sales have cratered from 46,999 units in 2012 to 1,528 in 2024—a 96.7% drop. The brand’s lone model, the $34,683 Fiat 500e, sold just 470 units in the first half of 2024, ranking as America’s second-slowest seller. It failed against rivals like the Nissan Leaf due to short range, limited practicality, and high cost. Stellantis’ overall U.S. share fell from 12.6% in 2019 to 9.6% in 2023, forcing unconventional strategies like the Topolino to tap underserved segments.
Regulatory and Road Challenges Ahead
Classified as a quadricycle, the Topolino evades standard auto safety rules but fits Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) status, limited to 25 mph on roads under 35 mph. Its 28 mph top speed requires speed governors or special approvals, potentially raising costs via crash tests and certifications. Usage confines to surface streets in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco—barring highways central to U.S. driving culture. Final pricing, possibly over $15,000 after adaptations, will test its affordability edge.
Skepticism and Potential Niches
Analysts doubt broad success; Telemetry’s Sam Abuelsamid projects 200,000 annual units needed for profitability, far above 2014’s microcar peak of 114,000. Fiat’s 2011 U.S. return flopped as consumers favored SUVs post-fuel price drops. Yet niches exist: urban parking shortages, second cars, campuses, or developer fleets. Median new car prices hit $47,000 in 2024, fueling demand among millennials and Gen Z for cheap transport ignored by SUV-focused makers. Trump’s pivot from big-truck advocacy could open doors, with Honda, Suzuki, and others watching.
The Topolino’s 2026 debut will gauge if presidential backing and low costs can shift entrenched habits, or if it remains niche theater. Success might spawn new segments and imports; failure reinforces size preferences, but either way, it probes affordability’s role in evolving U.S. mobility.
Sources:
“Stellantis to bring tiny Fiat car to U.S. following Trump remarks,” CNBC, December 8, 2025.
“Stellantis Brings Tiny Cars to the US After Trump Said He Wanted Them,” Business Insider, December 9, 2025.
“Fiat Will Sell Tiny EV in the U.S. With a 28 MPH Top Speed,” Gizmodo, December 9, 2025.
“The Fiat 500e Is The Second Slowest-Selling Vehicle In The U.S.,” Mopar Insiders, August 1, 2024.
“Trump wants Asia’s pint-sized kei cars to be made and sold in U.S.,” Los Angeles Times, December 4, 2025.
“Could President Trump Bring Japan’s Tiny Cars to America? Not so fast,” The New York Times, December 6, 2025.
“Stellantis Reports 13% Year-Over-Year Increase in Q3 2025,” Stellantis Press Release, October 29, 2025.
“Low-Speed Vehicle Access to Roadways,” U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center, 2021.