Ever since the addition of the Shopping Cart in Fortnite, players have been offered a variety of ride-in or ride-on vehicles, aircraft, and watercraft to help them traverse the map faster, and maybe with some style. In this article, we will look at the vehicles currently in-game (Chapter 3, Season 3), where they are most likely to spawn, advantages and disadvantages, as well as ways to use vehicles to help you be successful in your fight for the crown.

Vehicles in the Current Season

Cars/Pick-Up Trucks

Cars can be found in a variety of styles, colors, speeds, and with a possibility of modifications already installed. Make sure the vehicle you are interested in does not have a Boot (yellow clamp) on a wheel, which stops the vehicle from being driven. Regular sedans and trucks do not have a boost ability, but they can be enhanced with a Cow Catcher (which plows through most structures in its path) and Off-Road Tires, which help you traverse rough terrain.

All vehicles can be repaired using the Repair Torch, which are found in red toolboxes, in some chests, and randomly around the map. Watch your fuel levels with every type of vehicle, and any gas station or red fuel can will give you gasoline to stay ahead of the competition, unless you’re in a Baller. Ballers run off electricity and cannot be fueled with gasoline. Cars and trucks can be found at almost any city-like drop. Looking in garages and on roads will increase your chances of finding a usable vehicle.

Special Types of Cars

Taxi: The taxis in game are not notably different from the other sedans, besides the bright paint job and the sign on top, but these cars are sometimes used for daily quests, and have been used in some season’s “Milestone Challenges.”

“Henchmen Car” Prevalent: Found near guard towers around the map, these black sedans are pre-equipped with Off-Road Tires, and a little more oomph than a normal sedan. Not quite as fast as a Whiplash, but faster than a normal car, if you need a quick get-away for a squad, this is a good choice as it offers higher performance, without having to modify, and can fit an entire squad.

Whiplash: You will recognize the Whiplash by its sleek design and sporty stance, found sprinkled throughout the map. The advantage of this car is it boasts a “boost” option that will accelerate the car forward for a time with higher speed, with a draw on your fuel. Though it is faster, this car does not perform well off-road, and although Off-Road Tires can be thrown on a Whiplash (or if you’re at Chonker’s Speedway, head to the starting line for a pre-modded Whiplash) the boost of power can sometimes make controlling the Whiplash a little tricky. One other possible disadvantage of the Whiplash is that it is a two-seat car. If you’re in trios or squads, unless someone rides on top of the car, you may have to leave a teammate behind. Or take two! It’s also important to know that there are sometimes challenges (daily and in some seasons milestone challenges) that require the specific use of a Whiplash to complete tasks. A surefire place to find a pre-modded Whiplash is at Chonker’s Speedway near the southern center of the map.

Other Types of Vehicles

Semi-Trucks

While these heavyhitters may take a little time to get rolling, once the Semi-Trucks are in motion, they can take you and one passenger on a path of destruction. Add a Cow Catcher onto the front and plow through the enemy lines, but be aware that the turning radius on the Semi-Truck is wide, and if there is any drastic elevation change, this large truck may struggle. But with enough speed, this vehicle has enough clout to knock not only the builds, but the competition. Semi-Trucks can be found near stores that would require some kind of delivery, or many urban areas or gas stations.

Battle Bus

The Battle Bus is currently only found in two locations on the map during Chapter 3, Season 3. One can be found a little southeast of the large cabin near the Reality Tree. The second location the Battle Bus can be located is on the beach almost directly north from the center of The Joneses. The Battle Bus is equipped with a cannon on the front gunner position, and a mounted turret on the back. There are multiple spots for squad mates to ride on top and fire using their inventoried guns or rotate through the gunner’s seats. The turret does over-heat if fired too rapidly, and the cannon can be a little slow to reload, but it can be useful in a variety of situations. One drawback to the Battle Bus is the turning radius which is quite wide, and this vehicle, though powerful, is somewhat slow and cumbersome.

Ballers

Though the Ballers are not new this season, the drastic make-over to Command Cavern led to the Rave Cave being decked out with the Baller coaster. The monstrous structure wraps around the mountain and out of the huge statue built in the likeness of Cuddle Team Leader’s head. Various quests sprinkled through Season 3 have required Ballers to complete, and with the plethora of Ballers in and around the Rave Cave, that is the only location they typically spawn. You can fire the suction cup out onto a target and boost yourself along in quite a fun mode of travel. Just be aware–Ballers only run on electricity and cannot be recharged, so keep your eye on the level before you’re left with no transportation.

Boats

Boats can be found on most bodies of water in and around the Fortnite map. Capable of carrying one to four people, boats move quickly along a body of water with their boost capabilities. Though once grounded, boats can be very slow and cumbersome, though they do have infinite rockets.

Animals

Though not a vehicle, it is worth mentioning that three animals on the island are able to transport you to different areas of the map. You can use a fishing pole to catch a shark and surf quickly behind him in the open water, or slowly across the land. On land, a better choice of animal transportation is the wolf or the boar. Simply jump on the back of these mammals to “tame” the animal and be sure to watch the stamina bar as, once the animal gets too low, it will be unusable. Animals can be found throughout the map.

Tactics with Vehicles

Transportation

The first thing to note is that vehicles are a great reliable way to transport you across the map. However, there are some things to note before jumping in and taking off. First, any enemy player within a certain radius that has visualized sound effects will see your location far before you see them on foot. If trying to keep your current location secret, using a car is not a wise idea.

Looting

Next, throwing a Cow Catcher to the front of an easily maneuverable vehicle (like a sedan) and tearing through an area with tall buildings is a great tactic to quickly loot. Taking out the lower walls will make the entire building–and all its loot–collapse onto the floor without having to search chests room-to-room. Be sure to manage your fuel consumption as once the gas light goes on, you only have a limited amount of time left in the car before it stops for good.

Healing

If your squad is on the run, most healing can be done by the passengers in a car. The car adds a little more protection to the players within and can be driven toward the next circle to help the team reset before the next battle. Also, a solo player can drive into zone, switch to the passenger seat and heal up if you don’t want to use builds, or are looking for some quick cover while healing.

Destruction

Arming someone with a vehicle (especially with a powerful Cow Catcher) can help your team knock down enemy builds. Hitting people with a car can cause significant damage, and even an elimination if the player’s health is low enough or if the player takes fall damage. The commotion of a vehicle busting through a build can also be a very needed distraction if your squad is pinned down.

Conclusion

While Fortnite continually offers a variety of vehicles of the land, water, and air, it will be interesting to see what Epic will create or unvault in Chapter 3, Season 4. Players in Chapter 3, Season 3 got a little nostalgic taste of Chapter 2, Season 7 when UFOs were temporarily returned to the map. Whatever gets thrown at players next, I’m sure players will continue to find the most efficient ways to use Fortnite vehicles to their advantage.