Last month, a Tesla Cybertruck sank in California's Ventura Harbor after the owner attempted to use the vehicle to launch a Jet Ski. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made claims that the Cybertruck can float like a boat, the incident shows that statement should not be taken at face value by drivers.
What happened?
As The Los Angeles Times reported, the Cybertruck became totally submerged in 8 feet of water after the driver accidentally put the car in reverse instead of drive at the boat ramp, causing it to roll into the water.
In 2022, prior to the truck's release, Musk tweeted that the "Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes & even seas that aren't too choppy."
About a year later, the Tesla founder teased the idea of developing a Cybertruck boat mode, but there's been no official announcement or release date for such a package.
While the driver clearly wasn't intending to use the vehicle as a boat, it was still an unfortunate situation, as a fun day on the water took a harrowing turn when the owner had to quickly climb out before the truck sank.
"All Teslas can float briefly in water because they are so air tight," one Electrek commenter said, referring to videos and statements from Musk about this and theorizing that the Cybertruck's trailer may have weighed it down and that it might have floated longer if the driver had not opened the door.
That said, again, emphasis on "briefly" here either way, and drivers should not count on any Tesla to float in the ocean or deep water, as the cars are not certified for that and do not have adequate propulsion to maneuver around in the short time they might have prior to sinking. As said in a tweet highlighted by the Electrek article, the Cybertruck may float briefly like a boat, and "then briefly as a submarine...then a coffin."
Said another reader, commenting on how Jet Skis don't need to be dropped off that close to the water: "I don't understand how this happened."
Why is this concerning?
Since Cybertrucks are electric vehicles, there's the threat of a potential battery fire to consider in cases where the lithium-ion batteries get submerged in water for too long.
While modern EVs are built to withstand major exposure to rain and flooding, significant submersion for a length of time while the car is in operation could cause a short circuit and generate excessive heat, potentially igniting flammable components in the batteries. Saltwater exposure is especially dangerous for lithium-ion batteries because it can cause a chemical reaction that produces highly flammable hydrogen and chlorine gases.
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Absolutely 👍 While electric vehicle battery fires are actually rarer than fires in gas-powered cars, fires in EVs are typically harder to extinguish because they burn hotter and longer. That's why before a hurricane strikes, officials urge residents to move their EVs to higher ground to prevent the batteries from getting too wet.
Since the Ventura Harbor is a salty body of water, the agencies that collaborated to retrieve the Cybertruck had to be extra cautious during the mission.
"Tesla advised that the best thing to do was to set up a perimeter of about 45 feet of defensible space around the vehicle once we pulled it out," Carson Shevitz, captain of TowBoatUS Ventura, who helped with the rescue, told the Times.
Luckily, the retrieval went smoothly, and engineers were able to transport it to a Tesla service center. That said, it still wasn't great for the driver, surely, and it wasn't great PR for Tesla, which is already dealing with a high level of adversity through declining sales numbers and public protests.
Can Tesla Cybertrucks drive through water?
According to Electrek, Cybertrucks are equipped with a "wade mode" that allows the vehicles to drive through shallow water. Once activated, it "pressurizes the battery pack" and raises the ride height to the maximum level to ensure the electronics stay dry.
Cybertruck owners have used wade mode to drive through floodwaters, but driving through flooded roads is not a risk worth taking since it's difficult to gauge the water's depth. In addition, Tesla states that "Damage or water ingress to Cybertruck as a result of driving in water is not covered by the warranty."
The incident in the Ventura Harbor is an important reminder to stay alert when you're behind the wheel, and if you buy an EV, it's best to keep it out of the water. Taking good care of your EV will allow you to take full advantage of the savings on gas and maintenance, plus the environmental benefits of owning a non-polluting vehicle.
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