12 most innovative and eccentric electric cars - Lunar Rover

Image: NASA

Lunar Rover

The Tesla Roadster was the first production car to be blasted into space, but the Lunar Rover beat it by almost 50 years. Developed by Boeing and General Motors, the Lunar Roving Vehicle, to give its official name, was used on the moon during the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions and was able to carry two astronauts, their kit plus samples.

With no atmosphere, aerodynamics had no bearing on the design. Of more importance was absolute reliability, ground clearance and range – even on the rugged terrain, the LRV recorded a range of 57 miles. The project cost an eye-watering $38m – four were built and three were left on the moon. The other was used for spare parts.

From the rarest electric car to the most common. We reveal all on the next page.