Do cars need gas in GTA 6? Fuel, engine damage, car delivery and trackers

Yes, GTA 6's cars run on gas. Every vehicle in the game has a fuel gauge and a readout of its engine's health, according to Edge's Oct. 29 cover story, which describes a 90-minute demo played by Rob Nelson, co-studio head of Rockstar North. Here's how fuel and the rest of GTA 6's car systems work, from what Rockstar's developers have shown Edge and IGN. Our Is it true? check now rates the fuel system as confirmed.

Fuel and engine damage

• Every vehicle has a fuel gauge and a readout of its engine's health, Edge reports. The magazine doesn't single out boats, planes or helicopters.
• A tank lasts a long time. Cars can drive a long way before they run low, and refilling is a quick detour.
• It matters most when you steal. Edge's example: hold up a passing car and it might have a tank that's nearly empty.
• Damage costs you money. Bring a car to a fence damaged and you get paid less, Nelson told IGN, so it's worth repairing first.

Rockstar hasn't named GTA 6's gas station chains yet. The only fuel company in its footage so far is Globe Oil, the brand from GTA IV and GTA V, on a tanker in the Launch Trailer.

Calling your car: the Scooter Bros app

You don't whistle for your car the way you whistled for a horse in Red Dead Redemption, but it's nearly as quick. Edge describes a phone app, Scooter Bros: for a small fee, someone delivers your car within seconds, then rides away on the scooter they brought. Your whole arsenal is in the trunk, so your weapons come with the car. Nelson told IGN the same about your personal vehicle: "all your weapons that you've purchased" are in the back.

There's a catch during a robbery: you won't have time to order a car. Edge says you either park a getaway car around the corner before the job, or take your chances with whatever passes by.

Stealing a car

Taking a car off the street is less predictable than in earlier games:

• Drivers react. Some panic and run. Others are armed and fight back, Edge reports.
• Some cars have trackers. A newer, expensive car may have a tracker that keeps broadcasting your position, and nearly any owner can report the theft after you drive off.
• Better cars need tools. Nelson told IGN that cars come in tiers, and some parked cars need tools you unlock later, such as a key cloner, while others need only a Slim Jim. You can always carjack a driver.
• Scan it first. The WAiNK app on your phone shows a car's locks, alarm and tracker, what it's worth at a Pay n' Spray or to a fence, and what it costs to register, Nelson told IGN.

Selling cars to a fence

Fences post the cars they want on WAiNK. Edge says the app lists the model, its security features and how it can be tracked, and the better-protected cars are harder to steal. High-end cars ping their location to the police, so you have to shake off a tail on the way to the drop-off, where the fence usually has a signal blocker. Part of the payment depends on the car's condition.

Stealing cars for a fence is also one way Jason and Lucia raise money between story missions, Edge reports, along with holding up gas stations and jewelry stores.

Getting around without a car

GTA 6 has working bus and train networks. Phil Hooker, a head of development at Rockstar North, told Edge he spends a lot of his time checking that the buses arrive on time: "I'm obsessed with making sure they always turn up." He knows every route by heart.

You can also ride in a ride-share car as a passenger, which Nelson called "a good way to do fast travel" in IGN's demo. Our gameplay guide has more.

Roads and weather

GTA V's wide roads have been narrowed to "a more believable size," Nelson told Edge, and he told IGN that the narrower streets and heavy traffic make driving harder. Weather matters in the air and on the water: storms buffet planes and helicopters and can lightly damage them, and boats get thrown around in exposed water, Edge reports.

What we don't know yet

• The price of gas, and what happens when a tank runs dry.
• Where to repair a car, and what engine damage does to how a car drives.
• The names of the gas stations.
• How the Scooter Bros fee works. Edge says only that it's modest.

The cars Rockstar has named so far are in our vehicles database, and the rest of what Edge saw is in our report on the cover story.