Slate has a size comparison widget on their website. You can show it with the silhouette of a current full size pickup and a circa 1985 small pickup. It's almost exactly the same size as that generation.

I really love my hybrid Maverick. It is still bigger than I want, but it works really well and averages about 40mpg. I can also fit it in a normal parking spot, which is nice.

Exactly mini-truck FTW! They used to be everywhere. Now you can't find one.

While this is true in theory, in practice it rarely shows up. If these trucks do deliver a good, simple experience at $25K, others would not be able to just copy it and catch up. It would be easier for any of the big guys to just buy the company.

I agree, but without the complications of a combustion engine, it makes it a lot easier. You can buy ev conversion kits for around $15k, so there's also an "I'll make my own, with blackjack, and hookers" option.

there is plenty of demand for smaller trucks

Blame a 62 year old law.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax

I had this badboy in the 90s and it was the most practical vehicle.

Those are midsized. I would say Hyundai is the only one with the Santa Cruz, and that's not really a truck.

Edit: I stand corrected, I had assumed the maverick was rwd/awd, not fwd/awd. I'm going to amend my statement and say the maverick is also not really a truck. I consider having the drive wheels under the payload to be an important aspect of a truck. Not that it really matters in the grand scheme of things.

The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz

Neither are small.

That’s incorrect. The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz exist and are very popular.

And they are still inefficient monsters compared to what a real small truck should be:

Ford Maverick (2022+):

• Length: Approx. 199.7 inches (5.07 meters) almost 1.7 meters larger, 6 feet or so

• Width: Approx. 72.6 inches (1.84 meters)

• Height: Approx. 68.7 inches (1.75 meters)

• Bed Length: 4.5 feet (approx. 54 inches / 1.37 meters) 45% LESS cargo space than a kei truck

Typical Kei Truck (e.g., Suzuki Carry):

• Length: Max legal limit is 3.4 meters (133.9 inches / 11.15 feet).

• Width: Max legal limit is 1.48 meters (58.3 inches). Often around 1.4 meters.

• Height: Varies, but typically around 1.9–2.0 meters (75–79 inches) including the cab/bed height, though the cargo bed side walls are very low (often ~1 meter total height from ground).

• Bed Length: Typically around 2.0 meters (78 inches / 6.5 feet), which is actually longer than the Maverick's bed in some configurations relative to the vehicle length, though the total footprint is much smaller.