In the early 1950s, America was on the cusp of a new era. World War II was fading into memory and the country was full of hope thanks to science and industry. Amidst all this progress General Motors unleashed the 1953 GM Futurliner, the embodiment of the era’s unlimited optimism. This was a 33-foot-long, 30,000 pound rolling billboard for the future, a machine built to wow small town America with tomorrow.
Fifty years after astronauts bounced around the lunar surface in a stripped-down electric cart, General Motors is back with a rover that’s more like a reliable pickup truck than a one-time toy. The Lunar Terrain Vehicle, or LTV, is developed by a team led by Lunar Outpost, with General Motors handling the battery pack, frame and smarts for standing upright on uneven ground. This vehicle is for NASA’s Artemis missions which will deliver humans to the South Pole starting around 2030.
GM Defense revealed their Next Gen tactical vehicle prototype at the Association of the U.S. Army 2024 conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. It’s based on the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD ZR2 truck, and combines GM’s 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel engine with a 12-module battery pack.
General Motors partnered with Lockheed Martin to develop a lunar rover, but now, the two companies are deepening their partnership by committing to an entire line of moon vehicles. This time, the vehicles won’t be exclusive to NASA, but will be also offered to commercial space companies, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin.
GM President Mark Reuss teased the automaker’s new electric Chevrolet Corvette playing around in the snow, and it’s set to be released early next year. This isn’t just any standard EV, as you can see its front tires spinning, which means that it will be all-wheel drive. It will however be based on the current mid-engine Corvette C8, which leaves room in the front and back for motors on each axle.
GM Defense has already delivered its first Infantry Squad Vehicle to the US Army, but now, it’s working on an all-electric version. Called the “All Electric Concept Vehicle,” it’s powered by GM’s eCrate electric powertrain generating 200 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque from a 60-kilowatt-hour, 400-volt battery that achieves up to 150-miles on a single charge. Its petrol counterpart is powered by a 2.8L Duramax four-cylinder turbodisel making 186 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Read more for a video and additional information.
