Video: Tesla Cybertruck Handles Flood Waters Admirably, Barely Breaks

In 2022, Elon Musk claimed seemingly out of nowhere that the Cybertruck could "serve briefly as a boat." That particular feature has not been advertised on the final production truck, but the Cybertrucks reaching customer hands do have a wade mode that temporarily pressurizes the battery and raises ride height to allow for slightly more effective driving in high waters. An owner has finally tested the feature on video, and the results are impressive until they show what happens to the truck afterward.

In a clip from YouTuber TechRax, a Cybertruck owner takes the truck through increasingly deeper waters to see how the wading feature handles them. In the first test, the truck easily drives over relatively shallow water without any of that water reaching the main bodywork. Further tests in deeper water up to the truck's bumper are slower and more difficult, but the truck's massive and ungainly shape pushes water out of the way and the truck is able to complete the crossing in two to three feet of water as advertised.

That performance is impressive, but it is followed by immediate problems after the test. Two panels come loose, one inside of a fender and one on the rear bumper. Hours later, the tester notices that the truck's outer bed controls no longer work. As Electrek points out, those problems should not be covered under the truck's warranty because the wade mode is activated as part of an off-road mode and the agreement specifically singles out damage from off-roading as something the company does not cover.

While the truck handles the water surprisingly well, braving high water in a car is still never a good idea and the minor damage to electrical systems on the Cybertruck is the least of the bad possible outcomes here. Cars are not boats, and high waters can win out over even massive trucks like the Ram TRX. Without knowing the exact depth and speed of a body of water in advance, it is never safe to ford a water crossing. The consequences can be terrifying, especially in the case of sudden flash floods.

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