4 Off-grid vehicles that can survive an EMP attack

Is your car safe from an EMP attack? Concerns about an electromagnetic pulse disaster must not be dismissed. As reported by the FreeBeacon.com, a 2014 congressional hearing by the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies concluded that an EMP attack can have disastrous effects on the majority of the U.S. If you’re highly concerned about your vehicle’s immunity against an attack, the most logical course of action is to get one that’s EMP-proof like the ones you’ll see below:

• Jeep CJ — This is one of the different versions of the classic Willys GP built in large numbers from 1944 to 1986. It’s ideal for any survival situation because of its amazing off-road performance. Its engines are electronics-free, so there’s no way an EMP attack can damage it. The 1979 Jeep CJ5 — with a street value of $7,100 — is one good example.
• 1984 Chevrolet Blazer — This is one of the first SUVs ever made and was created for off-road enthusiasts. Although it didn’t impress people with its 83-horsepower strength, it made up for it with its 2.8-liter, six-cylinder engine. Its engine has a carburetor and a natural aspiration, which means it doesn’t need a turbocharger. It also has fewer electronics that control the engine performance. There are other models from the 1970s to the early 1980s that could survive an EMP attack but are more expensive.
• 1972 Volkswagen Beetle — The Beetle is arguably one of the most iconic vehicles ever made; it’s also the best-selling car in history. It has a 60-horsepower engine, which is just right given the car’s light weight. Although Volkswagen started including Boesch fuel-injected engines starting 1975, the Beetle’s resistance to EMP, despite having a few electronics, is still good. But if you want one that’s absolutely safe from any attack, try older models.
• 1983 Ford Bronco — Its naturally aspirated carburetor engine, which means it doesn’t need electronic assistance when mixing air and fuel, makes this Ford Bronco immune from an EMP attack. This three-door wagon utilizes four-wheel drive and can reach 85 mph. The first one was released in 1966 and became immediately popular. Its production, however, was discontinued 20 years later. Succeeding models may have had electronic emissions equipment but were noted to have less-than-superior performance.

An EMP attack can severely damage car electronics. It can interfere with your vehicle’s operations and can lead to permanent damage. Since most cars today are chock full of electronics — some cars can have more than 100 microprocessors — it’s not surprising that many people are serious about making their vehicles EMP-proof.

Today’s cars can have more than 200 lbs of electronics and more than a mile of wiring; newer models are sure to have more. This makes the potential damage even scarier. Among the functions at risk when an EMP attack happens are anti-lock brakes, air bags, GPS, fuel injection, powertrain control module, electronic locks, and electronic ignition. Imagine if your car doesn’t start or suddenly shuts down while on the road. That would be very scary.

Should you be worried? The idea is terrifying; but 2004 data from the EMP Commission may put weary minds at ease. According to their report, 90 percent of the cars subjected to a simulated EMP attacks didn’t suffer serious damage. None of the cars whose engines were turned off showed signs of damage while only a few of those that were running shut off. All of them started back up.

These findings should provide a glimmer of hope against a disastrous scenario that may await car owners during an attack.  Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? And if you’re not willing to take on a chance, then start looking around for any of the vehicles we mentioned above.

Sources include:

Lifewire.com

AskaPrepper.com

Empcommission.org

Freebeacon.com