fuel-efficiency
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Explanation
The Joke
This comic is presented as a faux-educational infographic titled "New Approaches to Fuel Efficiency," listing five increasingly absurd car design concepts, each with a "Pros" and "Cons" list in the style of a serious engineering proposal.
Idea 1, "Car With Onboard Geothermal Power Generator," proposes charging the car by sinking a metal rod toward the center of the Earth. Pros include charging anywhere and being environmentally conscious. Cons include the possibility of cracking the Earth's core, resulting in "death of all surface life."
Idea 2, "Multistage Car," proposes jettisoning used stages of the car like a rocket. A pro is being able to tell the police that only a small percentage of overall mass was speeding. A con is that it "can only be used one awesome time."
Idea 3, "Car With Anger-Capturing Interior," harvests energy whenever you punch the ceiling, dash, or steering wheel. Its con is "cannot yet harvest self-loathing."
Idea 4, "Car That Can Only Go Downhill," uses regenerative braking to generate negative fuel consumption. Pros include that it would be extremely valuable if Earth turned out to be flat. A con is "is honestly kind of a stupid idea."
Idea 5, "Car That Only Technically Moves," remains stationary while the Earth rotates beneath it at 30 kilometers per second relative to the sun. Cons include "hard drive to see movies" and that the car will continue moving after you and everyone you know have died.
The Humor
The comedy works through the format itself -- presenting completely unhinged engineering concepts in the dry, balanced pros-and-cons format of a genuine technical analysis. Each idea is funny in a different way, escalating from the plausible-sounding (geothermal energy) to the existentially absurd (a stationary car that outlasts civilization). The self-aware cons are particularly effective: admitting an idea is "honestly kind of a stupid idea" while still presenting it formally, or listing "death of all surface life" as a bullet point alongside "high upfront cost," treats apocalyptic consequences with the same clinical detachment as a minor budgetary concern.