what fuel can you use for cars in factorio

[AsherLynn]

In Factorio, you can power your car with four types of fuel: Wood, Solid Fuel, Rocket Fuel, and Nuclear Fuel. The type of fuel directly impacts the car's acceleration and top speed. While Wood will get you moving, Rocket Fuel is generally considered the best balance of performance and resource cost for mid to late-game use. Nuclear Fuel provides the highest performance but is resource-intensive to produce.

The key difference lies in the acceleration multiplier and fuel value each type provides. A higher acceleration multiplier means the car reaches its top speed much faster, which is crucial for navigating around biters and complex factory layouts efficiently.

Fuel Type	Acceleration Multiplier	Top Speed Impact	Fuel Value (MJ)	Best Use Case
Wood	1.0x	Base Speed	4 MJ	Early game emergency use
Solid Fuel	1.3x	Moderately Faster	25 MJ	Reliable mid-game option
Rocket Fuel	1.8x	Significantly Faster	225 MJ	Best all-around performance
Nuclear Fuel	2.5x	Maximum Speed	1.21 GJ	Late-game, resource-heavy

You don't need a special fuel slot; simply open the car's inventory and place the fuel inside, similar to putting coal in a furnace. The car will consume fuel only when you're driving. For new players, using Solid Fuel is a great step up from coal or wood once you have oil processing set up. As you progress to producing rockets, switching to Rocket Fuel for your personal transportation makes a noticeable difference in responsiveness. Reserve Nuclear Fuel for when you have Kovarex enrichment running smoothly and want the absolute best performance.

[DiMax]

Stick with Rocket Fuel. It's the sweet spot. You get a huge boost in acceleration without burning through your precious uranium reserves. It's made from Solid Fuel, which you're probably already producing for other things. The car just feels so much more responsive and zippy compared to using basic Solid Fuel. It makes exploring and running across the factory a lot less of a chore.

[OliveLee]

Don't overlook Wood when you're just starting! If you're hand-mining coal for your first furnaces, every lump counts. Throwing a stack of wood you cleared while building into the car gets you mobile. It's slow, sure, but it's absolutely faster than running. It's a great temporary solution until you have a steady coal supply and can afford to use it for travel. It turns waste into a useful early-game resource.