Detroit Automaker GM Will Help Power NASA Lunar Rover Mission

Detroit is known as the Motor City, but Michigan-made auto engineering is now headed far beyond Earth. Perhaps they should consider an alternate moniker: Moon City.

NASA Selects GM to Help Power Future Moon Rover

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According to The Detroit Free Press, the Detroit automaker’s military-contracting subsidiary, GM Defense, will serve as a subcontractor developing battery-electric propulsion technology for NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) program.

The vehicle, named “Pegasus,” is just one of the early steps in NASA’s long-term plan to establish sustained human operations beyond Earth.

After Michigan native astronaut Christina Koch helped make history on NASA’s Artemis II mission in April 2026, interest in NASA’s next major space milestones remains high-- especially in Michigan.

GM put the first electric car on the moon nearly 50 years ago when it helped develop the electric Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), including the chassis and wheels for the LRV that was used on Apollo’s 15 through 17 missions. -- The Detroit Free Press

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But don't worry, there's good news for those of us down here on Earth too! Both GM and Goodyear say the advancements discovered for the lunar rover project will be used to improve tire quality and technology for Earth vehicles.

Will you be watching when Christina Koch becomes the first woman to land on the moon in 2028? Read more about the Artemis missions here.