Ponk-powered Cars

The hotrods of the post-apocalypse

Written by JRTRPG

After the apocalypse, the landscape was flush with abandoned cars. Although most vehicles were made electric-powered in the decades after Kostcorp came to Pritvy, there were still thousands upon thousands of gasoline powered vehicles. Many old car frames were turned into animal-powered wagons. However, as people began to assimilate to the post-apocalyptic world, gear-heads started to get creative.
Gasoline and charging stations can be difficult to find across Pritvy, but water is generally abundant. Ponk, the magical ore, is also fairly abundant; large amounts can be found in old starships and war machines across the land. Smaller amounts can be found in a variety of devices hiding in the ruins. A modified Ponk engine could power old cars using a small amount of Ponk and only water as fuel.
Sharing notes and working together, a simple Ponk-powered engine that could fit most vehicle frames was designed. The knowledge to build such an engine spread across the region and within a few decades, Ponk-powered cars became a common sight. Old vehicle parts and rubber tires are now heavily in demand. An entire new market has opened up as "ponkies" become more and more prevalent. Various communities have begun to rebuild the roads around their area to both aid in their export and to encourage import.
People take great pride in constructing and customizing their ponkies. The most common ponkies are used by traders, farmers, and builders. Ponkie bus routes have been established to aid in travel between smaller settlements and larger towns. Groups of mercenaries have built fleets of armored and weaponized ponkies. A huge community of "ponkers", who trade parts and indulge in ponky races, has sprung up in the region. Ponky races have become a popular event for people to attend, and a few entrepreneurs and enthusiasts have even built specialized racing tracks.
Unfortunately, many roaming bands of raiders have begun to utilize ponkies in their hit-and-run attacks on settlements. While ponkies have improved many aspects of life on Pritvy, they have also made it a much more dangerous place to live.

Power Generation

Internal Ponk engine

Propulsion

Water-powered Ponk

Weapons & Armament

extremely customizable

Armor and defense

extremely customizable

Communication Tools & Systems

extremely customizable

Nickname

Ponky, Ponkies

Motto

Whatever rolls

Price

from cheap to real costly

Rarity

extremely common

Length

varies

Height

varies

Weight

varies, usually pretty heavy

Speed

from slow to real fast

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

from single driver to passenger buses