Tesla Model 3 Remains Unscathed by Highway Flood, courtesy of u/RobDickinson on Reddit
In a video posted on Reddit on Tuesday, a Tesla Model S is seen driving through a high tide which splashed up on a highway in China. The video was shared by Reddit user u/RobDickinson on the r/teslamotors subreddit. Despite the video noting in China it was a Model 3, the vehicle was indeed a Model S.
While several other vehicles, including a bus, are moved by the Tesla, and seemingly unable to evade the tide long enough to avoid engine damage, the Model S bounces back and drives away after being seemingly trapped by the tide.
In response to a question about the other cars stalling due to water intake and how a Tesla is cooled, the original poster commented, “The high voltage systems are all waterproofed and the sealed etc. The cooling is by a sealed liquid loop, pumps, HVAC, fans etc.” They continued, “The 12v system etc is waterproofed as any other car, prolonged drenching or submerging can cause issues with all this, esp if it gets into the serious electronics like in the cabin.”
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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2016
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, has previously claimed that the Model S can “float well enough” to be “turned into a boat for short periods of time.”
In spite of this claim, many Tesla owners have also reported leaks and other water damage to the electric vehicles.
Nothing new. Happens w/ every Tesla model. pic.twitter.com/Hc9XyhxACT
— Kawasaki_KR-1 (@KawasakiKR11) August 6, 2020
Still, there’s something to be said for the resilience of the Tesla Model S withstanding a giant highway wave in the video, and it is one small piece of evidence for Musk’s prior claim.
