Vehicles come in a few basic types determined by their fuel types.
As already discussed there are 'Swoops' and 'Sweeps' which are essentially small hover-cars and -bikes powered by mana engines. The mana is sustained within areas where the ambient magic is strong (i.e. Metamor), but can also be generated by small conventionally-fueled mana generators (these are not terribly efficient, but enough to keep these small vehicles going in mana-weak areas).
Then there are ground-based vehicles, which are far more common and the only way to transport large loads. Sweeps/Swoops are like helicopters… damn versatile but lacking in carrying capacity.
Some ground based vehicles use conventional fuels (gasoline/diesel). These are typically found in areas where magic does not exist and mana-generators do not function well, such as Yesulam and the Holy Land. In Metamor such vehicles are called 'smoggies' and are rendered to the lowest levels of the city, typically for utility work such as waste removal.
Other ground based vehicles use a spin-drive: Essentially removing the 'engine' and spinning the main drive axle with a mana-field. This spinning shaft drives the wheels with passable efficiency. Though they cannot fly in the manner of sweeps, they can be made to levatate for short distances - usually the transition from one transit system to another. Forward motion is limited unless there is rubber on the road. Spin-drives are limited to small to large vehicles such as cars and small cargo transports. As vehicles get much larger the mana-conversion ratio drops off signifigantly requiring a shift to conventional fuels to attain greater torque.
The spin-drive magic can power propeller aircraft rather well. Coupled with a mana-generator such aircraft can fly from magic-strong areas to magic-weak areas efficiently. Jet aircraft are limited to pure mana or pure chemical fuels.
All mana driven vehicles require a back-up system that can take over in the event of mana-disruption or loss. Since mana-generators are not creating mana when shut down these are typically all that is required: In the event of mana loss or disruption the generator takes over to provide enough mana for maneuvering and controlled stopping. Many conventionally fueld vehicles, especially aircraft, often have a mana-generator as safety backups.
