Remembering the Nucleon, Ford's 1958 nuclear-powered concept car that never was

Idea vehicles talk in bodily type, the potential, the beliefs, and the desires that automotive corporations have about the way forward for not simply their very own autos, however the entire automotive business on the whole.
Generally idea vehicles are created to show upcoming manufacturing fashions, in different circumstances they function pure summary imaginations of the long run. Take Ford’s 1958 nuclear-powered idea, the Nucleon, for instance.

Credit score: Ford Motor Company

Ford solely ever made a 3/eighth scale mannequin of its nuclear-powered idea automotive, the Nucleon. Most likely for one of the best, eh.

Almost 30 years earlier than the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, engineers at Ford designed and made a 3/Eight scale mannequin of a automotive, which it mentioned could be powered by a nuclear reactor within the trunk (or boot for those who’re British). Yeah, let that sink in for a second.
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On the time, it in all probability didn’t sound as insane an concept because it does now, although.
According to a Ford article, now solely accessible on an web archive, its idea vehicles of this period mirrored the optimism of the 1950s and 1960s. Again then, there was big hype round nuclear vitality. Many believed it could be the panacea to the oil disaster and ship clear energy for the plenty.
Had Ford gone forward and made an precise working model of the Nucleon, the corporate says drivers would have fueled it with Uranium pellets. Ford by no means really made a working model, although — in all probability for one of the best.

Credit score: Wikimedia - CC

The Ford Nucleon was designed to carry a nuclear reactor between the rear wheels. It could have been powered by Uranium, which might solely want altering ever 5,000 miles. Now that’s some vary!

On paper, the Nucleon sounded revolutionary, and highlighted the formidable post-war American narrative of nuclear energy being the long run. A future which would offer clear vitality for all.
In precept, Ford’s nuclear-powered automotive was a fairly easy idea and would use an atomic reactor in the identical means as a nuclear submarine. The nuclear reactor would fission Uranium pellets, warmth up water and produce steam. This excessive stress steam would then flip generators to offer electrical energy by turbines or direct mechanical energy.
Ford says the nuclear capsule could be simply interchangeable primarily based on the motive force’s efficiency wants and the gap to be traveled. Designers additionally allegedly believed that gasoline stations would get replaced by Uranium stations, the place drivers might get their radioactive cores modified.

Credit score: Wikimedia

Whereas consideration focuses on the automotive’s nuclear reactor, the Nucleon additionally had some design cues which have grow to be widespread place on fashionable autos, like pillar-less home windows.

The actual secret sauce although, is the vitality density of Uranium. Small quantities of Uranium has the potential to offer big quantities of vitality when in comparison with coal, gasoline, or batteries.
Boffins at Ford mentioned this might give the Nucleon a variety of some 5,000 miles (8,000 km) between fill-ups. By fill-up, I presume they imply, changing the Uranium. I’m not precisely certain how that might be finished en masse for the general public, however stick that in your pipe and smoke it, vary nervousness.
One of the best little bit of all although, is that there could be no emissions from the car. Positive, there could be some extremely radioactive waste to take away from the reactor on occasion, however y’know, nothing’s excellent.
If you happen to assume Ford’s concept is only a one-off from a bunch of loopy futurists, you’d be flawed. Across the identical time interval there was a whole host of atomic-powered concept cars.

Credit score: Ron Frazier

The 1950s had been a wild time for idea automotive design. Check out this 1955 Ghia Gilda Coupe Idea. It’s powered by a jet engine!

Clearly, Ford’s imaginative and prescient by no means got here to fruition.
In line with a 2006 article on Damn Interesting, the Nucleon undertaking was scrapped as appropriate small-scale nuclear reactors and light-weight shielding supplies couldn’t be developed. What’s extra, as the general public wised as much as the risks of nuclear energy and waste, individuals quickly misplaced curiosity. It’s in all probability factor that we don’t have motorways and roads full of 100+ mph nuclear bombs.
Remembering ideas just like the Nucleon makes me come over all melancholic, although. The Nucleon doesn’t simply signify an unattainable concept, it represents an unbridled dream for a greater future.
As Ford says, the automotive demonstrates the designers’ fearlessness in believing one thing that has by no means been finished, might be finished — if solely we dared put it into manufacturing.
Sources: Ford Motor Company, Hot Cars, Damn Interesting, Autoblog, The Henry Ford Innovation Museum

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