Tesla Motors’ electric cars already sport some pretty impressive officially supported features, but sometimes, the most interesting uses of technology are kind of … off-label. That’s the case with recent confirmation that the Model S can, in fact, double as a boat under the right circumstances. It’s not quite Speed Racer‘s submarine mode, but it’ll do for now.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk weighed in on the car’s buoyancy after a recent video appeared to demonstrate its nautically-inclined abilities. In it, the car navigates a partially flooded tunnel that had already claimed several less advanced automobiles. While the Model S hits a bit of a snag at first, it keeps running despite the deep water and eventually manages to make it out the opposite side seemingly unscathed.
Musk’s Tweet confirming the car’s capabilities read, “We *def* don’t recommended this, but Model S floats well enough to turn it into a boat for short periods of time. Thrust via wheel rotation.” The car already has an aquatic advantage on other cars due to its lack of a combustion engine, but it’s still surprising to see an electric car so well sealed up that it keeps running in water. We did already know about Tesla’s bioweapon defense capabilities, though, so this only seems like the next logical step.
… After that, of course, would be full-on submarine mode. Control button F, here we come.
(via Ars Technica, featured image via Tatsunoko Productions)
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