General Motors (GM) is bringing Earth-tested off-road innovation to space exploration, adapting its Hummer EV technology for NASA’s upcoming Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). The Eagle LTV, developed in partnership with Colorado-based Lunar Outpost, is one of three prototypes competing to become the successor to the Apollo-era lunar rover under NASA’s Artemis program.
Drawing directly from the GMC Hummer EV’s engineering, the Eagle LTV will feature four independent electric motors, torque vectoring, traction control, and advanced battery technology designed to withstand extreme lunar conditions. GM is supplying lithium-ion NCMA batteries — also used in its EV lineup — which deliver high power, wide temperature tolerance, and long lifespan. The Eagle LTV is designed for a 10-year, 30,000-kilometer service life, nearly 1,000 times farther than Apollo’s rovers.
“GMC Hummer is a super truck, and this is a super truck for the Moon,” said Matt Nassoiy, GM’s program engineering manager for the lunar project. “It has many of the features of the Hummer but adapted for a more extreme environment.”
The Eagle rover will be capable of “crab walking” across rugged lunar terrain, zero-point turns, and autonomous navigation. Equipped with LiDAR, radar, and high-resolution cameras, it will operate largely without human drivers, mapping the Moon’s surface and conducting science missions between crewed expeditions.
Testing is underway using GM’s advanced driving simulators, which recreate lunar conditions such as one-sixth gravity. NASA astronauts have already trialed the vehicle virtually, with stability emerging as a key design challenge. Engineers are focused on maintaining a low center of gravity and simplified controls, ensuring astronauts can operate the vehicle with minimal effort during missions.
The Eagle LTV will be showcased alongside the GMC Hummer EV at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas from September 26 to October 19, giving the public a rare chance to see Earth’s “super truck” and its lunar cousin side by side.
If selected by NASA, the Eagle LTV will play a pivotal role in Artemis missions, including exploration of the Moon’s south pole — a region of extreme cold and perpetual shadows believed to harbor water ice, a critical resource for future space exploration.
