Suzuki on the Moon

Suzuki’s ‘go anywhere’ 4WD is set to take on the final frontier. The company has joined Team Hakuto to compete for the Google Lunar XPRIZE, the world’s first race to land a privately funded spacecraft on the surface of the moon.

16 teams from 10 countries are competing for prizes worth a total of US$30 million. The goals are to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface, travel 500 metres, and transmit high-definition video and images back to Earth by the end of 2017.

Team Hakuto is made up of about 100 people from venture companies, universities, and a diverse range of other private-sector organisations. Suzuki will play a very important part, lending their unrivalled off-road expertise to help the team overcome the incredible challenges ahead of them:

• An unexplored landscape 380,000 kilometres away

• Temperatures over 100°C during the day and below -150°C at night

• A surface littered with rocks and covered in extremely fine powder

It’s the perfect proving ground for Suzuki’s all-wheel-drive technology!

One small step… After receiving the Mobility Milestone Prize for proving their rover will function in the harsh environment of space, Team Hakuto is now considered a frontrunner in the race. Their rover is also one of the most compact and lightweight of all the competitors. While the race is for the moon, the ultimate goal is to spur breakthroughs in mobility, efficiency, improved materials, artificial intelligence and sustainable energy – goals which align perfectly with Suzuki’s philosophy.

Suzuki began developing off-roaders In 1968. Perhaps in 2017 we’ll see Suzuki vehicles make the next giant leap.