https://www.lifewire.com/would-your-car-...ck-3903248
In a study released in 2004, the EMP Commission subjected 37 different cars and trucks to simulated EMP attacks and found that none of them suffered permanent, crippling damage, although the results were somewhat mixed.
The study subjected vehicles to simulated EMP attacks both while shut off and while running... None of the vehicles suffered any ill effects if the attack occurred while the engine was off. When the attack occurred while the vehicles were running, some of them shut off, while others suffered other effects like erroneously blinking dash lights. Although some of the engines did die when subjected to an EMP, each of the passenger cars tested by the EMP Commission did start back up.
The study findings suggested that 90 percent of the cars on the road in 2004 would suffer no ill effects at all from an EMP, while 10 percent would either stall out or suffer some other ill effect that would require driver intervention. That number has no doubt gone up in the intervening decade since there are more cars on the road today that make use of delicate electronics, but none of the vehicles tested by the EMP commission suffered permanent damage.
There are a few possible reasons why the electronics in our cars may be a little bit more robust than we give them credit for. The first is that the electronics in cars and trucks are already somewhat shielded, and they also tend to be a little more robust than most consumer electronics due to the harsh conditions they are subjected to while on the road.
Another factor that may help protect the electronics in a car is that the metal body of the vehicle can act as a partial Faraday cage. This is why you can survive your vehicle being struck by lightning, and it’s also why car radio antennas are located outside, rather than inside, the vehicle. Of course, your car isn’t a perfect Faraday cage, or you wouldn’t be able to make and receive cell phone calls.
Better Safe than Sorry in an EMP Attack?
While none of the cars tested by the EMP Commission in 2004 suffered permanent or crippling damage, and only one of the trucks required a tow, that doesn’t mean cars are totally immune to EMP. Vehicles built in the decade since the EMP Commission study could be more vulnerable, due to more onboard electronics, or less vulnerable, due to more robust shielding from electronic interference.
In any case, the fact is that while it’s possible for an EMP to damage the electronics in a car or truck, there are no vitally important electronics to damage in older vehicles. That's where the old adage of "better safe than sorry" comes into play.
The Safest Vehicle after an EMP Attack
While real-world testing seems to indicate that most modern cars and trucks will start back up and drive just fine following an EMP attack, there are a few other factors that warrant consideration.
For instance, older cars and trucks are simpler, easier to work on, and often easier to find parts for. And in a worst-case scenario, following an EMP attack, there is a definite argument to be made for an older, reliable vehicle that you can work on yourself.
The other main issue to consider is that if the entire power grid is taken down, fuel production and supply will also be dead in the water until it comes back up. That means you'll be stuck with whatever fuel you have on hand, which is where the knowledge of how to make ethanol or biodiesel at home could come in very handy.
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