Home News Project Zomboid: How to Hotwire Cars

Project Zomboid: How to Hotwire Cars

Author : Henry Jan 17,2025

The playable map in Project Zomboid is huge, and while players can walk from one end all the way to another, it's not really something anyone should consider doing outside of a challenge run. Thankfully, most cars in the game still work, and if you can't find the keys to one, you can always hotwire it.

Hotwiring a car isn't as hard as it sounds. Players are often just a few button presses away from securing a sweet ride, but there are a few requirements that you need to meet before you can start collecting cars. You don't exactly need to use the best build in Project Zomboid to do this, but you'll want to keep these requirements in mind the next time you feel the urge to start jacking vehicles.

How Does Hotwiring Work in Project Zomboid

Successfully hotwiring a car will let you drive it around for as long as it stays fueled and in good condition, even without having the right keys for it. However, before you can do that, you need to get at least Level 1 Electrical and Level 2 Mechanics skills. Alternatively, you can pick the Burglar occupation during character creation — this will let you hotwire vehicles even without the aforementioned skill requirements.

How to Hotwire a Car in Project Zomboid

  1. Enter the vehicle.
  2. Open the vehicle radial menu (default key is V).
  3. Select the Hotwire option, then wait for a few seconds.

Once your character meets any of the requirements mentioned above, perform these three steps on any working vehicle you can enter. The actual act of hotwiring is done automatically by your character — once they finish the process, press W to start the vehicle's engine. Take note that not all vehicles have fuel in their tanks, so you'll want to get some gas in Project Zomboid just in case.

How to Level Electrical and Mechanical Skills

If you don't want to start as a Burglar, you can manually increase your Electrical and Mechanical skill levels by doing specific activities in-game. To gain XP for these skills, do the following:

  • Electrical: Dismantle electronics like digital watches, radios, and televesions.
  • Mechanics: Remove and reinstall mechanical parts

Reading books and magazines can also increase your skill levels. You can find some while exploring homes and commercial establishments. Mailboxes, storage sheds, and bookshelves tend to have plenty of readable items on them, so make sure to check those while looting buildings. If you're hosting a Project Zomboid server as an admin and want to give players skill XP directly, you use the "/addxp" command and follow the syntax that appears on the chat box.

You'll need a screwdriver or a more appropriate tool if you want to dismantle or install things. You can remove parts of a vehicle by right-clicking one and selecting the Vehicle Mechanics option.

Latest Articles More
  • Old School RuneScape lets you take on the Royal Titans in new update

    Old School RuneScape's Royal Titans update brings a double boss fight! Face off against Brandr, the Fire Queen, and Eldric, the King of Frost, simultaneously in a thrilling three-way battle within the Asgarnian Ice Cave. This epic encounter, perfect for solo or duo play, requires strategic gear us

    Feb 28,2025
  • Every Avowed Background and What They Do

    Avowed's Character Creation: A Deep Dive into Backgrounds Avowed boasts a rich character creator, allowing players to customize their character's appearance and select a Background that shapes their backstory and narrative. This guide details each Background and its impact on gameplay. Avowed offe

    Feb 28,2025
  • The Most Essential Steam Deck Accessories to Buy in 2025

    Enhance Your Steam Deck Experience: Essential Accessories The Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED are phenomenal handheld gaming PCs, but a few accessories can significantly elevate your gaming experience. From extended playtime with a portable charger to the protection offered by a case and screen prot

    Feb 28,2025
  • This LEGO Bouquet of Roses Is a Great Valentine’s Day Gift, and It’s on Sale Today

    Looking for a unique and lasting Valentine's Day gift? Consider the charm of LEGO flowers! These beautiful creations offer a delightful alternative to traditional gifts, requiring no watering and providing long-lasting enjoyment. Currently, several LEGO flower sets are on sale, including a signifi

    Feb 28,2025
  • Roblox: Eat Pizza to Grow GIGACHAD Codes (January 2025)

    Eat Pizza to Grow GIGACHAD: A Guide to Codes and Gameplay Eat Pizza to Grow GIGACHAD throws players into a survival-based competition where consuming various foods boosts your Power level. The goal? Become the ultimate GIGACHAD on the server. To accelerate your growth, utilizing available codes is

    Feb 28,2025
  • Diablo Immortal lets you earn Red Bags, practice the art of sharing, and take down the Eater of Mountains in its latest update

    Celebrate the Year of the Snake with Diablo Immortal's Tong-Shi's Renewal Limited-Time Event! Running from January 22nd to February 13th, this event offers exciting rewards. Complete daily tasks (up to five) in Dungeons, Elder Rifts, by defeating elite monsters, and completing Bounties to earn Red

    Feb 28,2025