Fifteen years earlier than the Russian "Volga Atom," Ford developed a concept car called the "Ford Nucleon". This nuclear-powered automobile was designed, according to Ford, based on the assumption that future nuclear reactors would be smaller, safer, lighter and more portable.

The "Ford Nucleon" traveled 5,000 miles (over 8,000 km) on one core! The model consisted of a reactor, called the “power capsule”, which contained a radioactive core. The core could be interchanged by the driver, depending on the requirements of performance and the distance.