The answer is the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), also known as the Moon buggy.
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A car built for the moon
The LRV was developed for the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions between 1971 and 1972. A total of four examples were produced by the aircraft manufacturer Boeing and the car manufacturer General Motors.
The vehicle is three meters long, 1.1 meters high and weighs only 210 kilograms. Despite its compact size, it could carry 440 kilograms, including two astronauts and material from the lunar surface.
With a top speed of 9.7 km/h, which during Apollo 17 was pushed up to 18 km/h, the car became crucial in making the spacewalks more efficient. Three of the cars were left on the moon, while the fourth is on Earth.
The moon car runs on electricity. (Photo: NASA/AP)
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An expensive story
Developing and manufacturing the LRV was hardly cheap. The entire project cost 38 million dollars in the 1970s, which is equivalent to 3.4 billion kroner in today’s value – roughly 850 million kroner per car. The Lunar Rover is thus the most expensive electric car in history.
For comparison, the most expensive car in history in all categories is a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which was sold for a whopping 1.5 billion kroner.
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An early electric car pioneer
Since the moon lacks oxygen, the LRV was an electric car, equipped with four electric motors that together produced one horsepower.
With an electric range of 92 kilometers and a total driving time of 11 hours, the three lunar vehicles drove a total of 89 kilometers on the lunar surface.
The tires, developed by General Motors, were an important component to cope with the challenging terrain. And although the original cars are largely still on the moon, replicas of the LRV are on display in various museums around the world.
With its astonishing price tag and unique history, the Lunar Rover is one of the automotive world’s most fascinating creations.