EP32: Atomic Highways, Nuclear Powered Dream Cars

Buckle up, AutoKnerds, because today we’re diving into one of the wildest ideas in automotive history—nuclear-powered cars! That’s right, once upon a time, engineers and dreamers thought the best way to fuel your daily commute was with a miniature nuclear reactor. What could possibly go wrong?

 

In this episode, we’ll explore two of the most infamous attempts at making this atomic fantasy a reality:

☢ The Ford Nucleon – Ford’s 1958 vision of a car powered by a tiny fission reactor (because swapping out uranium cores instead of oil changes sounded fun).

☢ The Simca Fulgur – A French concept car that wasn’t just nuclear-powered but also voice-controlled and autonomous. Basically, it predicted modern tech—just with way more radiation concerns.

 

Along the way, we’ll break down the atomic-age optimism that led to these wild designs, why they ultimately never hit the road, and—most importantly—what sales professionals can learn from these over-promised, under-delivered vehicles. Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that customers don’t love being sold a dream that turns out to be impossible.

 

🔥 Correction Notice: At times during this episode, I mistakenly referred to the Simca Fulgur as the Scima Fulgur. Oops! Consider it an unintended mutation—fitting for an episode about nuclear-powered cars, don’t you think?

 

🚗💥 Don’t miss this one! Like, subscribe, and drop a comment below—what’s the craziest car concept you’ve ever heard of?

Connect at —>Andrew@AutoKnerd.com

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