Kei cars, K-cars, or keijidōsha(軽自動車, lit. "light automobile") (pronounced [keːdʑidoːɕa]), are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to exploit local tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is available for the vehicle. This especially advantaged class of cars was developed to promote popular motorisation in the post war era. While successful at home, the genre is generally too specialized and too small to be profitable in export markets.