User blog comment:MiniDaggers/RWBY Volume 4 Commentary Summary/@comment-25936766-20170623001241/@comment-4010415-20170623024707

SYUTK, at this point, the term "steampunk" applies both to actual machinery using steam and the aesthetic of things associated with machinery using steam.

Considering the context, I'm pretty sure that Miles and Kerry were going the "purely just the aesthetic of steampunk stuff" route, considering they said that it's "Eastern meets steampunk", as in "The aesthetics associated with eastern countries of our world meets the aesthetics of steampunk stuff".

Most of the time, when I see or hear someone talk about steampunk, they're purely talking about the aesthetics of it - goggles, leather, gears, pipes, tophats, bronze-colored metal, etc. This is considered a "steampunk PlayStation controller". Does it literally run on steam? No. It follows the aesthetic of steampunk, and that is why it is labeled as a "steampunk" PlayStation controller. These are steampunk goggles. They're not powered by steam, but they follow the aesthetic of steampunk. The term "steampunk" even applies to outfits/fashion.

So, I'm pretty damn certain that Miles and Kerry meant "steampunk" purely in an aesethetic sense when they were talking about Mistral. Mistral probably does not have everything literally powered by steam Dust.