Why Don’t We Have Nuclear Cars Today? | Tales From the Bottle
In the 1950’s the “atomic car” concept emerged, but 70 years later no one’s driving nuclear cars — why?
“Nuclear propulsion includes a wide variety of propulsion methods that use some form of nuclear reaction as their primary power source. Many aircraft carriers and submarines currently use uranium fueled nuclear reactors that can provide propulsion for long periods without refueling. There are also applications in the space sector with nuclear thermal and nuclear electric engines which could be more efficient than conventional rocket engines.
The idea of using nuclear material for propulsion dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. In 1903 it was hypothesized that radioactive material, radium, might be a suitable fuel for engines to propel cars, planes, and boats. H. G. Wells picked up this idea in his 1914 fiction work The World Set Free.”
More on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_propulsion
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@Qxir
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
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@robertbalazslorincz8218
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
I mean, same reason there aren't any flying ca- …oh.
2:28 technically almost all of the TGV's are nuclear powered.. in a slightly convoluted way
@scribehades
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Your pronunciation of 'automobile' sounds like it'd be slang fora police car. 😄
@shinsenshogun900
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
There has never been a nuclear powered plane
@otmgi3865
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
5:21 are you sure that there's never been a nuclear powered car? Im not convinced
@otmgi3865
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
4:33 ahhhh yes, the oh so ubiquitous energy curtain
@DasPimpenheimer
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
6:54 it wasn’t a car but more of a dozer 😂
@brayli86
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
– HELLo service, my Check Engine lamp is on.
– Well, sir, U are a dead man walking. Just a second, let me say a word to my coworkers : EVACUATE !.
@patbarron0
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
My brother had a Simca, back in the late 1960's. Not the nuclear one, though – because there has never been a nuclear powered car….
@amadensor
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
We have nuclear powered cars today. EVs.
@Psrobertson
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
I’ve been in that car with my 76 year old mum. I don’t want her to be in control of any car. None. Let alone a flying car or one with a nuclear core in it. That’s the bottom line. Humans can’t be trusted to drive safely to have either flying cars or nuclear material on board.
@yootoobsuks4210
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Now, I'm unclear on something: has there ever been a nuclear-powered car or not?
@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
We do, it's called electric cars in a town with a nuclear power plant… Both of which were heavily pushed back against by Fossil Fuel corporations through "lobbying" and active corporate sabotage.
Ah, but capitalism breeds innovation, don't you know…
@Darkdukesean
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Throughout the video I was holding out hope that there had ever been a nuclear powered car
@StinkySeaGoat
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
The closest thing we have to a nuclear car is the shite Elon musk’s building thats designed to literally fucking Detonate if in a bad accident
@MrBots
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Why don't we have nuclear cars? Never played Fallout, did ya?
Nuclear cars explode with nuclear explosions. That's why we don't have nuclear cars!
You didn't need a 9 minute long video to answer this question…
@druyoutoo
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
4:30 you know it's amusing but science fiction usually comes around. I just saw something the other day about transparent aluminum and a reference to Star Trek
@dannypipewrench533
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
6:26 Nice PWR sketch.
@pandaspider3244
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Seeing this posted after I just started my fallout 4 playthrough lol
@pilotman012
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
There was a bus. The Big Bus
PG 1976 ‧ Comedy/Action 😅
@mrmag666
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Don't forget about the stupidest thing. We thought about putting a nuclear reactor in, airplanes that's right airplanes.
@Tuballoy
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
good video, but futhering misinforming sterotypes about nuclear power is still bad
@TangoWolf09
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Drinking game: Drink every time he says "There has never been a Nuclear-Powered _________"
@RukkaParka
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Well, we are getting (no we arent, it was a stupid publicity stunt) a car with a reverse ocean gate at the passanger seat tough!
@SeventhSwell
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
See also: The dangers of cars with carbon fiber balls full of thousands of PSI of compressed nitrogen.
@TysonNeil
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Could I get some atomic batteries?
@isaacschmitt4803
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Thought for sure you were going to cover the nuclear powered planes. . . Which were almost a thing
@eamonlyons8069
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
Hmm… here's an innovative idea, A NUCLEAR POWERED CAR!
@ClaudiaX2
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
My favorite part of Qxir talking about nuclear things is him randomly saying it correctly, then incorrectly .I remember him mentioning getting comments on the Demon Core video about saying it wrong. Now I can't stop noticing how he says it. I don't care how he says it and think it's funny but I wonder if he still gets comments telling him how to pronounce nuclear. 😅
@Erthæl_The_Protogen
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
3:11 that thing looks so cool, but I guarantee you the door weighs more than most cars on the road today
@endorfiene7457
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
there has never been a nuclear powered car
@NateFree321
October 26, 2026 at 10:01 am
My new favorite meme is "There has never been a nuclear powered car" 😄.