Fortnite cars: Everything you need to know

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Epic surprised everyone when it announced that drivable Fortnite cars would be coming to the game as part of Season 3. Not just golf carts, hoverboards, or boats—but honest-to-god cars. Now they've drifted and screeched their way onto the island.

To prepare you before you get behind the wheel, I've rounded up everything you need to know about Fortnite cars, so you can evade the shrinking circle of death in style. Ready. Set. GO!

Fortnite cars are here

Cars in Fortnite have gone live in the game as part of the 'Joy Ride' update. Above is a trailer to celebrate.

Where to find cars in Fortnite

The Fortnite Season 3 map has always had plenty of cars parked around most locations, but none of them were drivable until this latest update. Now, however, the cars you can drive seem to spawn around gas stations, but while these locations seem to be fixed, they're not guaranteed to spawn, like golden chests.

We've also noticed that cars you can't drive have a tire boot lock (those obnoxious yellow things) on them, so try to spot those before you run out into the open and expose yourself.

(Image credit: Epic Games)

According to some rough estimates, cars have a roughly 35% chance of spawning at a number of popular locations. It won't always be the same car spawning at a certain location either, although I've yet to see a Mudflap semi-truck take the place of a smaller car. It also seems like Bear pickup trucks tend to spawn in places with a lot of offroad paths, although I've definitely seen a number of them in more urban and suburban areas.

Every location that can spawn cars:

- Catty Corner
- Pleasant Park
- Salty Springs
- Lazy Lake, particularly the west side
- Holly Hedges
- Sweaty Sands
- Ricket Rig's north side
- Between Misty Meadows and Rickety Rig
- The bridge heading east of Pleasant Park
- Steamy Stacks, particularly on the west side
- East and south of Frenzy Farm

Gas stations and refueling cars

Any gas station you see can work as a refueling opportunity, so long as it still has a gas pump that hasn't exploded yet. If you want to drive for more than a minute or two, you'll probably need to fuel back up.

Here's a map of every gas station location:

(Image credit: Epic Games)

To gas up at a gas station, you just need to park your car nearby (I'd say within 10 feet or so), interact with the gas pump to pick up the nozzle. Then walk back to your car, and left-click on your car on any side, even the front or back. You'll see the gas counter start to rise, and you can quit fueling whenever you want.

Alternatively, you can refuel your car by picking up one of the many gas cans lying about, equipping it, and interacting with your car. 

Car stats

Unsurprisingly, every car in Fortnite will handle a little differently, so you may want to consider which kind of vehicle you'll want to bring into the battle. Here are the different types.

See more

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Other driving tips for cars in Fortnite

Here's everything else we can think of that will help you drive more effectively and less like your blind grandfather.

- Using the boost on the Whiplash will drain its gas incredibly fast. You can empty a full tank in under 15 seconds.
- Players who get hit by a car while walking (not running) will be blasted away like an impulse grenade. Running players will just take damage. That said, I've found it pretty tricky and maybe not all that reliable a trick, as I've definitely killed a couple of people who weren't running by running them over.
- The Whiplash and Prevalent, AKA the sedan and sports cars, are terribly while going offroad. They'll lose traction and generally lose a ton of speed, which will make you a giant vulnerable target. The Bear pickup truck and Mudflap semi-truck fare much better on offroad paths.

Joseph Knoop

Joseph Knoop is a freelance writer specializing in all things Fortnite at PC Gamer. Master of Creative Codes and Fortnite's weekly missions, Joe's always ready with a scoop on Boba Fett or John Wick or whoever the hell is coming to Fortnite this week. It's with a mix of relief and disappointment that he hasn't yet become a Fortnite skin himself. There's always next season...