In Fall 2022, a Cascade owner posted a disturbing article on our private Facebook forum. The article states that small compact cargo vans like the Ram Promaster City, Ford Transit Connect, Nissan NV200 and Mercedes Metris will no longer be sold in the United States. Some, like the Ram Promaster City, will be discontinued by the end of 2023! It’s terrible, shocking news. What will replace these fuel efficient, four cylinder gasoline engines? An entire lineup of small compact, electric vehicles? Small, four cylinder, compact cargo vans may all eventually have the EV (electric vehicle) designations. No gasoline engine options will be sold in the United States for these lineups.
Compact cargo vans with gasoline engines will soon be a thing of the past – here in the U.S. Automotive News said Ram will stop importing the Promaster City van and recently reported that Ford will drop the Transit Connect from its U.S. lineup. When that happens, the compact van *gasoline* segment will be wiped out entirely. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ram-promaster-city-ford-transit-connect-compact-vans/
As an American citizen, military veteran, I find this automotive news highly disturbing. It could be a federal government, regulatory-based decision. Government overreach! In 2022, United States, as a country, DOES NOT have a flexible nor reliable enough power grid to give everyone equal access to overnight & hourly electric charge stations! Many people live in apartments and homes without garages. And harsh winter climates are not conducive to using outdoor charging stations. These future EV mandates appear like a climate control policy run amok. I would expect it in California. But not throughout the entire United States!
First Responders not prepared for EV battery fires after Hurricane Ian
For those of you who live in hurricane risk areas & flood zones…be aware of EV batteries catching fire after being exposed to salt water. First Responders in Florida were taken by surprise when six flooded EV’s caught on fire after Hurricane Ian devastated Naples Florida in September 2022. https://www.eenews.net/articles/why-6-flooded-evs-burst-into-flames-after-hurricane-ian/?fbclid=IwAR3UtITfLDw8WX7-YdefJuG0M8SQw8YNLegt3IXQTDhqaSmdQ2aXnOpUmCo
Before some accuse me of being anti-electric, I have installed solar panels on my last two homes. And I have a solar panel on-top of my Cascade camper van. But relying totally on electricity to power a moving vehicle? It’s not reliable enough in 2022. California is leading the way with its governmental mandates of achieving 100% electric vehicles by 2035! https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/08/25/california-enacts-world-leading-plan-to-achieve-100-percent-zero-emission-vehicles-by-2035-cut-pollution/
Gas Generators still the most reliable power source during storms & bad weather
Think about this reality…a natural gas generator is currently more reliable than big name electric companies like PG&E, and Duke Energy. My natural gas generator has never failed in high wind storms nor lightning strikes like my Duke powered home electric system. Without gas fueled generators, many EV’s will be waiting uncharged until electric companies restore the grid power! Which could be hours or days waiting for the electricity to be turned back on. My friend Judy had zero electricity in her home for 5 days after Hurricane Ian hit. But her gas fueled vehicle had a tankful of gasoline to go places! And some farmers are refusing to give up their diesel tractors. Why? Weight issues plus dawn-to-dusk demands pose challenges to electrifying farm vehicles. https://energynews.us/2021/08/18/weight-dawn-to-dusk-demands-pose-challenges-to-electrifying-farm-vehicles/
Political Action Needed
If you love micro camper conversions, or need to operate a fuel-efficient, 4 cylinder cargo van, please write or call your local & state representatives. Demand a halt on environmentally mandated, EV policies! Especially at the state level.
Seeing is Believing!
Count how many compact cargo vans currently travel on American roads per hour. And look around in your towns & cities to see how popular gasoline fueled, compact cargo vans are today. Ask yourselves… if consumer demand for gasoline powered compact vans is “too low for continuation of manufacturing”, why would Ford, Nissan, Ram, & Mercedes compete in the more expensive, EV markets? If they’re not being federally subsidized and/or environmentally regulated to do so in 2023 & beyond? It makes no logical sense from a business perspective.
I constantly see florists, tradesmen, couriers, painters, electricians, plumbers, food delivery services and many other businesses using compact cargo vans everywhere I go. Camper conversion companies typically prefer the larger size sprinter vans. However, like my previous blog posts have highlighted, several companies specialize in converting compact cargo vehicles into small, affordable, great gas mileage camper vans! And ones like Recon, Wilderness, DLM & GTRV have been doing so for the last decade and longer!
Micro Van Life 