In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- Can we go back to smaller cars in 2022?
- Lots of vaporware in 2022, with tons of unfulfilled promises.
- What is TFL looking forward to in 2022?
The first question comes from a fan who wants to know if the U.S. will go back to smaller cars in 2022.
Q: (via Twitter @NathanAdlen) Nathan, can we stop the madness and go back to driving smaller cars in 2022!!??
If you look at every car in the U.S. market, they grow and grow all the time! I am so sick of it. Huge SUVs and pickup trucks are everywhere. Even electric cars are big when you look at what cars look like in other countries. I like the JDM kei cars and I know that you and Tommy do too. I saw Zak’s story on forbidden cas and I think he gets it too.
There is NO REASON why 75% of the people who drive massive vehicles can’t get by with a smaller one. The Japanese have managed for decades and we could too!!!!!!!!
- 5-Trent-5
A: Love Kei cars, but they just can’t meet our stringent safety requirements. Sadly, it’s like the U.S. is saying, “You can’t have nice things!”
There are other issues too. We have some small vehicles in our market, but they aren’t that popular. Why? The simple fact of the matter is that many Americans do not want tiny cars. Even if they are wizard in their packaging, which many Kei cars are, they are not that desirable for many consumers.
You can read about the awesome, tiny Honda N-Van Compo overlander (here).
Another issue, and one I can attest to, is that Kei cars are not exactly brilliant on our long, high-speed highways. With low power and short wheelbases, these tiny vehicles struggle against trucks and high winds. I’ve witnessed a few seriously struggle up here in the Rocky Mountains too.
Sure, small electric cars make sense; but in 2022 – you’ll find bigger electric crossovers. Why? Because people want electric crossovers. Many of the best (top 10) selling EVs in the U.S. consists of the Tesla Model Y (crossover), Ford Mustang Mach E (crossover) and Volkswagen ID4 (crossover) – among others.
Sadly, tiny, regular gas-powered cars that are somewhat popular remain offerings from Mini. The 2-door Mini Cooper is massive when compared with a Kei car.
Bottom line: I doubt we’ll see any of these cool little cars in our neck of the woods anytime soon.
- N
The next question comes from a fan who noticed that there were some broken promises for the 2022 year. In some cases, it’s vaporware.
Q: Have you noticed how many vehicles were promised for 2022, but are not coming?
Can you guys do a story on these startups that promised innovation for 2022 and disappeared? There are so many from these shell companies and even from well known car builders. I still haven’t seen a Tesla Cyber Truck neither.
Don’t blame the microchip shortage and Covid on these broken promises either. It’s just not the answer in most of these cases. I bet that many like Rivian were looking for funding before they had a real product right?
- B866
A: That’s a great question.
This is nothing new. We have seen a variety of “startups” or “inventors” pop up over the decades. In some cases, they are serious about building something new and unique. In other cases, they are unscrupulous, fraudulent, or deceptive shysters who are trying to make a buck. There are accounts of people going trough great lengths to con others into investing into vaperwhere.
I highly recommend the movie The Lady and the Dale, if you want to see how far the con can go.
To be fair, I have seen many who truly believed in their product, only to get shot down ….
Check out this video which covers a few promises that have yet to be fulfilled, and others that never will.
— N
The last question is an answer to many fans who want to know what the TFL Studios’ team is looking forward to in 2022.
(Paraphrased) What does the crew from TFL Studios look forward to in 2022?
A: Wow – where to start?
There are a ton of things that we are looking for in 2022. I think the easiest way to look at 2022 is with an eye towards EVs. We are going to see a massive influx of EVs, with pickup truck EVs being part of that mix.
- We are expecting to head to a few auto shows in 2022, if Covid cooperates. As of this writing, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and SEMA 2022 look like they will be happening. Smaller auto shows are unknowns right now.
- We are expanding and diversifying our long-term fleet, wirth a few surprises coming your way.
- On top of that, there are a ton of stories, reviews and previews of vehicles you may not have known were coming. We got early access to a few, and there are a bunch of cool tidbits that we will be presenting soon!
- Finally, we are expecting to add to our adventure video library. There will be more epic video releases like the No Payment Needed series (To Hell and Back & For a Few Bucks More).
The TFL Team wishes all of you an excellent, and safe 2022!
