Vehicles

There are various vehicles that engineers can use to travel, and transport items. Like buildings, vehicles can be painted any color. There are no new planned vehicles for the future, and there are no further unconfirmed vehicles. There is no cap on the number of vehicles in the world. Engineers can be hit by vehicles.

Fuel consumption
Vehicles require fuel items to operate, and are not picky as to what qualifies as fuel. Different fuel items are consumed at different rates, based on what item is used as well as which vehicle. The truck consumes more than the tractor. Below is a table of how far a tractor can travel by consuming one item. Trains run on electricity, rather than using solid fuel.

Progression
Vehicle tech can be unlocked via various means, including the discovery of new resources.

Piloting
Engineers can enter and exit vehicles via "E," the enter vehicle hotkey. When piloting a vehicle, the camera switches to third-person perspective. There are currently unknown features which will allow performing stunts. Vehicles cannot be upgraded. Some small foliage can be destroyed when run into by a vehicle. In addition, the Tractors can destroy some smaller trees which Trucks cannot.

Drifting
The Truck and The Explorer can both drift. The pilot can activate drifting with to allow for tighter, sliding turns, similar to a handbrake, to give greater control.

Fall Damage
Engineers can receive fall damage in a vehicle if the vehicle falls from a height. This results in the engineer getting thrown away from the vehicle. To avoid damage, the engineer can exit the vehicle just before reaching the ground. Alternatively, an engineer falling from height with the vehicle at the lower ground can avoid the fall damage by entering the vehicle just before hitting the ground.

Vehicles themselves are immune to fall damage.

Fire Damage
Vehicles can receive minor damage when hit by Spitter's fireball attacks.

Automation
By holding, the Self driving menu hotkey, while piloting a vehicle, an Engineer can perform various actions allowing for vehicle automation, such as recording a path, and enabling autopilot. Vehicles only drive on their own when not piloted by an engineer.

Wheeled
Wheeled vehicles such as Tractors and Trucks can be automated using the self driving menu by recording a path. When recording, way-points (displayed as blue triangles) are placed periodically along the vehicle path.

The automation uses way-points for pathing: It seems to be a point to point system, which means vehicles will always face the current way-point until they reach it to target the next way-point.

Self driving requires a clear straight path between way-points and a closed loop of way-points to work optimally. If a vehicle collides with an obstacle (including another vehicle), it will reverse and adjust its course, but vehicles will not actively avoid each-other.

Rail
Electric Locomotives can be automated using the self driving menu.

An automated path for trains can be created by adding Train Stations to the stop-list. Each stop can be assigned a stop duration, before the train moves on.


 * Continue reading: Electric Locomotive