In the depicted 2019, Earth has collapsed into a post-apocalyptic wasteland known as the "Steel Frontier." Following a global catastrophe, organized civilization has been replaced by isolated desert settlements like New Hope, where survivors cling to the remnants of 20th-century technology. The world is characterized by a complete breakdown of national borders, leaving the former United States as a lawless expanse of industrial decay and scorched earth.

The primary societal dynamic is the struggle between peaceful agrarian communities and The United Regime, a fascist paramilitary group led by General Quantrill. Central to the film's worldbuilding is a unique technological pivot: the community of New Hope has developed a method for extracting natural resources from discarded car tires. This specific reliance on waste recycling as a primary fuel source drives the film's conflict, as the military "Death Riders" seek to seize this resource to fuel their expansionist campaign across the wastes.

While the film’s depiction of a total global collapse by 2019 proved inaccurate, it correctly identified waste-to-energy as a critical future sector. The film’s focus on tire-derived fuel mirrors real-world industrial processes that use scrap tires as high-energy fuel for cement kilns and paper mills. However, the film's depiction of portable laser rifles and motorcycle-mounted machine guns remains speculative, as the real 2019 lacked the energy density required for such small-arms directed energy weapons. The 2019 of Steel Frontier serves more as a thematic exploration of resource-driven fascism than a literal technological roadmap.