The Mitsubishi eK is a kei car series from Mitsubishi Motors, based on the long-running Minica, and first introduced on October 11, 2001. According to the company, the "eK" name stands for "excellent keijidōsha" or "excellent minicar".

Kei car is the smallest category of Japanese, expressway-legal motor vehicles. 'Kei' is diminutive for kei-jidōsha,, "light automobile" or "compact automobile". With restricted dimensions and engine specifications, owners benefit firstly from lower taxes and insurance rates which lead to a lower overall cost of ownership. And in most rural areas, importantly, they were also exempted from the general Japanese shako shōmeisho (車庫証明書) parking-space ownership requirement to legally buy a motor vehicle at all, as street parking is generally restricted in Japan. Japan's carmakers also make microvans and kei trucks within this legal category.