---
title: "Finally: A New Car With Crotch Vents"
date: "2026-09-02"
modified: "2026-09-02"
authors:
  - name: "Andrew P. Collins"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/finally-a-new-car-with-crotch-vents"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "News"
---

# Finally: A New Car With Crotch Vents

![REO crotch vent](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/REO-crotch-vent.jpg>)
*\<em\>REO Industries\</em\>*

[REO](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/texas-real-estate-guy-wants-to-make-a-21500-truck-he-got-5500-reservations-in-six-days>) is a "coming soon" car brand, promising something that commenters are constantly clamoring for: A simple, cheap, gasoline-powered pickup truck. The pitch is exciting: $21,500 list price, no spyware, focused on affordability and easy maintenance. But the company has also teased one luxury feature worth getting excited about—[a crotch vent](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/its-time-for-a-c-crotch-vents-in-cars-to-make-a-comeback>).

Crotch vents, sometimes more crassly called "ball chillers," used to be fairly common. Many older cars have A/C vents below the steering column, firing cool air at the driver's lower torso and between their thighs. In sweaty places like the American South, or these days, New York in summer, a crotch-cooling vent can really make car rides considerably more comfortable.

I'm still pretty skeptical about REO's viability as a business long-term, but they're saying all the right things to get low-cost truck enthusiasts excited. And this is definitely one of those things.

> [View this post on Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ2bC7tnH-5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading>)

> [A post shared by REO Industries (@drivereo)](<https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ2bC7tnH-5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading>)

REO Industries Founder and CEO Zach De Bernardi is a Texas real estate guy trying to fill the market gap that's basically only being served by used last-gen Ford Rangers. The logline is basically “The affordable American truck—gas, mechanical, body-on-frame. Engineered to run 500,000 miles. Built in Texas, sold direct.”

The Runabout, as it's going to be called, racked up thousands of early reservations. But from where I'm sitting, REO is still a long way from anything resembling mass marketing. Building a car in compliance with modern safety standards that's also as cheap and simple as something from the '90s won't be easy—but I'm glad at least one company thinks it might not be impossible.

Another enticing proposition, besides a low list price and a crotch-chilling vent, is an open-source nature—REO, so far, positioning itself as extremely [right-to-repair](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/why-drivers-and-mechanics-are-united-against-automakers-right-to-repair-explained>) friendly, going so far as to be basically open-source and fixable or modifiable by almost anyone.

I wish these guys luck. I'm skeptical of their odds of success. But on paper, REO is presenting what many people I know would consider the perfect truck. We'll be watching their progress with a lot of interest.

*Got any REO insights or opinions? Hit me up at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.*

## Author
As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/andrewatlarge>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetercollins/>)