Elon Musk sent waves through the automotive community last week by suggesting the Tesla Cybertruck was waterproof enough to “serve briefly as a boat” over lakes, rivers, and “seas that aren’t too choppy.”
That suggestion drew the attention of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which said future Cybertruck owners should not put Musk’s claims to the test.
The state agency has a ‘Derelict Vessel Removal Program’, which as the name implies is responsible for removing derelict or abandoned vessels in waters around Washington state.
In a retweet of Musk’s claim, DNR shared an image of one of those derelict or abandoned vessels, a silver four-door sedan in the more than choppy Sauk River.
The agency did not mince words saying that people should “understand that anything that ‘serves briefly as a boat’ should not be used as a boat.” (via Teslarati)
Our derelict vessel crews are begging you to understand that anything that “serves briefly as a boat” should not be used as a boat https://t.co/lcrunbf1DJ pic.twitter.com/j2eL5tGcJZ
— Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (@waDNR) September 29, 2022
In a follow-up tweet, Musk explained that the Cybertruck could be waterproof enough to cross the channel from Boca Chica to South Padre Island.
Although didn’t specify the exact location of this route, we assume he was referring to this channel, known as Brazos Santiago Pass, which measures some 1,215ft (370m) across.
Even as outlandish as Musk’s claims are, other Tesla vehicles have been seen handling deep flood waters with ease. There have been numerous videos that have been shared on social media of all Tesla models travelling along flooded roads and underground parking garages.
Driving along a flooded road that is only a few feet deep is entirely different however than attempting to cross a deep body of water. Whether the Cybertruck will be able to live up to the claim remains to be seen, but for the sake of those that will be willing to try it, we hope it can.
