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Toyota is bringing back Scion as a mobility-focused division and plans to sell the KEI-01, a U.S.-built, right-hand-drive kei truck, to fleet operators in limited numbers from the second half of 2027. It will be restricted to 25 mph under low-speed vehicle rules, and Toyota has not announced a price or confirmed retail sales. Other Scion concepts, including a UTV and folding electric bike, have no confirmed production plans.
Toyota is reviving Scion as a mobility-focused division and plans to bring a small, U.S.-built kei truck to fleet operators in the second half of 2027. The KEI-01 will be sold in limited volumes through Toyota’s fleet services operation, with a 25 mph top speed and no announced price or confirmed retail availability.
The KEI-01 will be assembled in Indiana and sold through selected Toyota dealers under the Scion name. Toyota is targeting ranchers, small businesses and other fleet operators needing a compact work vehicle. The company said it may consider limited retail sales later, depending on consumer demand, market conditions and operational considerations; it has not committed to doing so.
The truck uses a 660cc three-cylinder engine, a continuously variable transmission and four-wheel drive. It will be right-hand-drive, with a two-door cab, raised roofline, standard heating and air conditioning, and a three-way fold-down cargo bed. Toyota says it is just over 11 feet long and less than five feet wide, with a maximum payload of 600 pounds.
Toyota says the KEI-01 is designed to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 500, the federal requirements for low-speed vehicles. Its 25 mph limit reflects that classification. The truck is based on the Pixis kei vehicle sold in Japan, but Toyota says the U.S. version will be built in Indiana. The company has not disclosed its price or the number it plans to produce.
A Fleet Truck, Not a Roadgoing Kei Car
The announcement offers a route for a kei-style truck to reach U.S. customers, but the vehicle’s low-speed classification sharply limits what that means. At 25 mph, the KEI-01 is intended for controlled, low-speed work settings rather than ordinary highway travel. Its potential use will depend on where fleet operators can legally and practically drive it.
For Toyota, the plan also gives Scion a different role from its former identity as a youth-oriented car brand. The automaker is using the name for a mobility test program, beginning with a fleet vehicle rather than a conventional passenger-car lineup. Limited initial sales let Toyota test demand and operating needs before making any decision about broader availability.
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Scion’s New Mobility Role
Toyota discontinued Scion about a decade ago after creating it as a brand aimed at younger buyers. The name’s return is now tied to what Toyota describes as a Freedom Lab exploring mobility on and off pavement. The KEI-01 is the first confirmed vehicle in this renewed effort; Toyota has not announced a broader Scion retail lineup.
The division’s earlier concepts include a UTV shown at the 2025 SEMA show, with long-travel suspension and a turbocharged 2.4-liter hybrid powertrain described as coming from the Tacoma TRD Pro. Toyota also showed the BKE, a folding electric two-wheeler that the company said can fold in 30 seconds and recharge from a vehicle’s 110-volt outlet. Neither concept has a confirmed production date or sales plan.
“The KEI-01 is designed to comply with FMVSS No. 500.”
— Toyota
Price, Production and Retail Plans
Toyota has not said how much the KEI-01 will cost, how many trucks it will build, or which fleet customers will be first to receive them. The second-half 2027 arrival is the announced target; the company has not provided a more specific launch date or delivery schedule.
It is also unclear how widely the truck can be used under local rules, beyond its federal low-speed vehicle classification. Toyota has not confirmed whether it will offer a retail version. Production plans for the UTV and BKE electric bike remain unannounced as well.
Fleet Launch Set for 2027
Toyota’s stated next step is to bring the KEI-01 to selected dealers and fleet operators in the second half of 2027. Before then, further details about pricing, production volume and ordering are needed to show the scale of the launch. Toyota has not given a date for those disclosures.
Any retail expansion would depend on the factors Toyota identified: demand, market conditions and operational considerations. The company has not announced production decisions for the UTV or folding bike, so their status remains that of concepts rather than confirmed products.
Key Questions
When will Toyota’s KEI-01 go on sale?
Toyota says it is expected in the second half of 2027. The company has not provided a specific date or delivery schedule.
Will the KEI-01 be available to individual buyers?
Initially, it will be sold in limited volumes to fleet operators through Toyota’s fleet services operation and selected dealers. Toyota may consider limited retail sales later but has not committed to them.
Why is the truck limited to 25 mph?
Toyota says the KEI-01 is designed to meet FMVSS No. 500, the federal standard for low-speed vehicles. The stated maximum speed is 25 mph.
How much will the KEI-01 cost?
Toyota has not announced a price or production volume.
Are the Scion UTV and folding bike going into production?
No production plans have been confirmed for either concept. Toyota has shown the UTV and BKE folding electric bike, but has not announced that they will be sold.
Source: thedrive.com
