🚐 Outbound Vehicles & Van Upgrades Guide: All Tiers, Chassis & Customization

The motor determines your van's top speed, hill-climbing ability, terrain accessibility, and energy consumption while driving. Motor upgrades are purchased at Trading Posts using accumulated materials.

| Motor Tier | Unlock | Top Speed | Hill Grade | Energy Draw | Cost | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Starter Motor | Default (game start) | 40 km/h | Grade 5° | 8 EU/hr | — | | Upgraded Motor | Meadows Trading Post | 55 km/h | Grade 10° | 10 EU/hr | 12x Metal Component + 6x Gear Part | | Performance Motor | Coast Trading Post | 70 km/h | Grade 20° | 12 EU/hr | 10x Advanced Metal + 8x Motor Unit + 4x Iron Component | | Mountain Motor | Mountain Trading Post (Base) | 65 km/h | Grade 45° | 15 EU/hr | 14x Summit Alloy + 10x Motor Unit + 4x Power Core |

Key notes: - The Mountain Motor is not faster than the Performance Motor on flat terrain (65 vs 70 km/h) but its Grade 45° hill-climbing ability is mandatory for Mountain biome switchback roads — no other motor can negotiate them - The Upgraded Motor should be your first Trading Post purchase — it is the minimum for Dense Forest trail navigation and doubles as the Dense Forest entry vehicle prerequisite - Energy consumption increases with each tier, but the difference is small (8 → 15 EU/hr) and more than compensated by the upgraded energy generation modules you'll have by the time you need each motor

Practical speed impact: With the Performance Motor (70 km/h) versus Starter Motor (40 km/h), biome transit time decreases by ~43%. On a 10-minute Coast-to-Mountain drive, this saves ~4 minutes — meaningful over dozens of trips.

Chassis upgrades increase your van's module slot count. They are purchased at Trading Posts and require both materials and a minimum motor tier.

| Chassis | Motor Req | New Slots | Total Slots | Cost | |---|---|---|---|---| | Starter Chassis | None | — | 8 | — (default) | | Expanded Chassis | Upgraded Motor | +4 (Roof +2, Side +1L, +1R) | 12 | 16x Metal Component + 8x Wood Plank | | Extended Chassis | Performance Motor | +6 (Roof +2, Side +2L, +2R) | 18 | 14x Advanced Metal + 10x Wood Plank + 4x Iron Component | | Full Chassis | Mountain Motor | +6 (Roof +2, Interior +2, Bumper +2) | 24 | 16x Summit Alloy + 12x Advanced Metal + 6x Power Core |

Planning your chassis path: The biggest bottleneck is the motor prerequisite. You cannot buy the Extended Chassis without the Performance Motor (Coast Trading Post), and you cannot buy the Full Chassis without the Mountain Motor. Plan material farming across biomes accordingly.

When to prioritize each chassis: - Expanded Chassis (12 slots): Get as soon as you have the Upgraded Motor — adds two Roof slots for a second Solar Panel and a Wind Turbine, transforming your energy budget - Extended Chassis (18 slots): Priority after entering the Coast — enables Advanced Workbench + Chemistry Lab simultaneously - Full Chassis (24 slots): Priority at Mountain entry — the Bumper slots (Bike Rack, Tool Holder) and extra Interior slots make the Mountain endgame significantly more comfortable

Each module adds weight to the van. At maximum load, the van moves slower and consumes more energy while driving. Weight Capacity upgrades increase the load ceiling.

| Upgrade | Cost | Effect | |---|---|---| | Weight Capacity I | 8x Metal Component + 4x Spring | +200 kg load capacity, −5% over-limit penalty | | Weight Capacity II | 8x Advanced Metal + 4x Spring + 2x Reinforced Frame | +300 kg load capacity, −8% over-limit penalty | | Weight Capacity III | 10x Summit Alloy + 6x Spring + 4x Reinforced Frame | +400 kg load capacity, removes over-limit speed penalty entirely |

Practical note: With the Full Chassis (24 modules) fully populated with late-game modules, the van typically reaches near-maximum load capacity. Weight Capacity III is recommended before populating all 24 slots. The speed penalty at over-limit is a flat 15% reduction — noticeable on longer drives.

Outbound includes a cosmetic customization system for the van exterior. All cosmetics are found at POIs or purchased at Trading Posts.

Paint Colors: - 7 default colors available at any Trading Post (Material cost: 2x Paint Pigment each) - Rare colors found in Supply Crates at POIs: Forest Green, Desert Tan, Coastal Blue, Mountain White, Midnight Black, Sunrise Orange - All paint colors are reversible — repaint any time at no material cost after initial unlock

Decals & Stickers: - 20+ decals confirmed, found at POIs and Trading Posts - Applied to the van exterior — purely cosmetic, no mechanical effect

Interior Decorations: - All Interior slot modules have visual customization variants (discovered in blueprint chests) - Examples: Wooden Plank Table vs. Metal Frame Table (same function, different appearance) - String Lights decoration (Interior slot, 1 EU/hr) — cosmetic + small happiness bonus for all van occupants

Bumper Attachments (functional): - Bike Rack: Enables bicycle deployment for short-range on-foot exploration (1 Bumper slot) - Tool Holder: Increases tool use efficiency by 10% (1 Bumper slot) - Spare Tire Rack: Provides one free tire repair (1 Bumper slot) — rare need but useful in Mountain biome rough terrain