Vehicle Sovereignty: Car Settings
Vehicles are the most valuable assets in Project Zomboid, but their default settings can be punishing. Players typically require the Burglar trait or high levels in Mechanics and Electrical to hotwire cars. You can adjust these variables in your sandbox configuration to better suit your community.
| Reading Time | Difficulty | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Intermediate | January 2026 |
Configuration File
These variables are located in your{ServerName}_SandboxVars.lua file within the /Zomboid/Server/ directory.
1. General Condition
CarGeneralCondition = 2: 1 = Low (Broken), 2 = Normal, 3 = High (Maintained).- Tip: For a “Newly Infected” feel, set this to 3 so players can find reliable transportation early on.
2. Fuel Efficiency
CarGasConsumption = 1.0: Standard rate.- Optimization: If you have a large map with several town mods, set this to 0.5 to double the mileage of every tank of gas.
3. Impact Damage
CarDamageOnImpact = 2.0: Default damage for collisions.- Recommendation: Due to potential server-side latency (lag), players often hit trees that haven’t rendered yet. We recommend lowering this to 0.5 to prevent accidental “Insta-Death” during car crashes.
Support Channels
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Last Updated: January 2026 | Project Zomboid: Vehicle settings optimized.