Ford introduced a nuclear-powered car in 1958, but today it’s still an impossibility

Ford introduced a nuclear-powered car back in 1958, but today it still remains an impossibility.

It might sound like a concept straight out of science fiction, but an American manufacturer really did toy with this concept back in the day.

The Ford Nucleon was envisioned with bold aims of sustainability and ultra-long ranges.

But even with all the technological advances we’ve seen since 1958, this concept remains on the drawing board.

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The nuclear-powered car you’d never heard of before

For as long as cars have been produced, people have been thinking of ways to power them.

While gas is obviously the default, other options have popped up over the years.

Electric vehicles are growing in popularity, in large part due to brands like Tesla and BYD.

But hydrogen-powered cars are also increasing in number.

There was even a scientist in Iran who created a car that could run on water!

Joining the category of ‘Unlikely fuel sources for a car’ is the Ford Nucleon, powered by nuclear energy.

The idea is indeed as ambitious as it sounds.

It would have been powered by a small nuclear reactor, which would mean it’s capable of reaching at least 5,000 miles.

People tend to get a little antsy when they hear the word ‘nuclear’.

But this isn’t a totally unworkable prospect, as uranium fission has been used to power submarines in the US Navy.

The USS Nautilus operated on nuclear power from January 1955 onwards, so it can be done.

By 1961, a dozen such submarines were in service.

The Nucleon was conceived in the midst of what has been termed ‘Atomic fever’ by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

It followed shortly on from the world’s first full-scale nuclear power plant, supplying electricity to the city of Pittsburgh.

People were optimistic about what nuclear energy was capable of, and plots surrounding it dominated comic books and movies.

In the case of the Nucleon, the reactor would be stored in the vehicle’s rear, and the atomic core would be recharged periodically.

The ‘replaceable power package’ would come in different sizes, and enable drivers to select their own horsepower.

On paper, it sounds amazing.

So why aren’t we all driving around in nuclear-powered cars today?

Why did the Ford Nucleon not catch on?

The car very much looks like it was designed during the space age.

But it might as well have been in the Stone Age, because it never got off the ground.

You see, when the car was first designed, nuclear power was in its infancy.

In 1958, Ford believed that nuclear fission would become more compact and affordable over time, but that hasn’t quite been the case.

There’s also the safety factor.

It’s one thing to have radiation inside a secure facility, but inside a car?

Five feet of shielding material, like concrete, would be required to keep the drivers safe.

And that’s obviously not practical when it comes to designing daily drivers.

But it’s still an admirable vision.

Ford had even drawn up plans for recharging stations for the cars’ nuclear reactors, which would have made gas stations a thing of the past.

Once the Nucleon’s reactor ran out after 5,000 miles, it would be swapped out for a replacement.

But alas, none of these ideas even made it off the floors of auto shows and into the showrooms.

It’s a shame that not much progress has been made on the idea since 1958.

That said, you never know what might be possible by 2058.The post Ford introduced a nuclear-powered car in 1958, but today it’s still an impossibility appeared first on Supercar Blondie.