Now, Musk has said that the Model S does actually float “well enough to turn it into a boat”, with the rotation of its wheels providing thrust in the water. As Digital Trends wrote when covering the issue, drivers will most likely damage their auto if they decide to submerge their vehicles under water, even partially.
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Furthermore, vehicle warranties (including Tesla’s) or insurance rarely if ever cover any damage caused by driving through flooded streets. To be sure, Musk’s comments don’t exactly dispute that premise-he’s not saying that the auto is a boat, just that it can function for a bit in water-but it’s still yet another declaration that his luxury vehicle is more powerful than you might think. The results could be explosive. But despite being sealed, it is not recommended to drive your electric cars in water.
From what I read in forum discussions some people say they can’t afford the Model S 60. As for the affordably-priced Model 3 electric sedan, that auto is scheduled to begin mass production and deliveries in 2017, well after its launch but still on schedule for the company.
It seems the video didn’t originate in Florida, but somewhere in Russian Federation or Ukraine, but plenty of Floridians may well be interested in the benefits of a Tesla in standing water.
However much fun it might be to see a video of a swimming Tesla, getting caught in a flood is hardly a desirable event. In addition, Ars Technica UK noted that the S has a ‘bioweapon defense mode’ that supposedly can filter polluted air so efficiently that, “You can literally survive a military-grade bio attack by sitting in your auto”, so it’s safe to assume the cabin is impenetrable too.
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The Model S 60 and 60 D also have upgrades built-in – so if down the track you want to step up to the 75kWh version, it’s simply the case of buying the software upgrade.
