Nissan has officially introduced a prototype of a new lunar rover. This vehicle was developed with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA.
Nissan carries a technology called e-4ORCE. This feature has actually been embedded in the Ariya electric car, where the system is all-wheel drive or called All-wheel Drive (AWD).
Nissan claims, the presence of this AWD feature can help the vehicle when exploring the moon which has quite difficult terrain such as rocky, bumpy, to full of sand. The company revealed that by carrying the AWD feature, the vehicle becomes more energy efficient so that it can explore the moon further.
In addition, there are also various sensors mounted on the vehicle body to make it easier to explore the moon.
Nissan has collaborated with JAXA in the exploration of lunar rover vehicles since January 2020. In addition to producing cruisers, this collaboration can help Nissan to develop the e-4ORCE technology found in the Ariya electric SUV in order to produce more optimal performance.
Not only Nissan, previously there were various automotive manufacturers who built lunar rover vehicles. Like Toyota, the Japanese manufacturer made a lunar cruiser called the Lunar Cruiser in collaboration with JAXA.
In addition, Hyundai has released a lunar rover concept vehicle called the Tiger. This car is called the first unmanned mobility vehicle belonging to the South Korean manufacturer.
Not to be outdone, Honda is also creating a lunar cruiser in collaboration with JAXA. General Motors (GM) is also co-developing a new lunar rover that NASA plans to use during the Artemis mission.
