Photo: @niccruzpatane via X
In 2020, Elon Musk claimed that the Cybertruck would be able to "float for a while" and doubled down on this feature two years later. However, Tesla Cybertruck's ability to float was never mentioned during the Delivery Day event or in the specifications. The Cybertruck does include a Wade Mode, though, which left many scratching their heads.
When he announced it in 2019, Elon Musk wanted the Tesla Cybertruck to become the most capable surface vehicle on Earth. The worst part with these ambitions is that they are sure to derail a project as more features are added to the "nice to have" column. I'm sure this got the Cybertruck delayed more than the pandemic and the supply-chain mayhem that followed.
Tesla started to add features to the Cybertruck, sometimes even starting development from scratch. Every time a new thing was considered, things were delayed, allowing competitors like Rivian, Ford, and GM to catch up and then launch their electric pickups before Tesla. The most bizarre feature was the Cybertruck's ability to float. We don't know how the idea of an amphibious pickup truck got traction, but it did.
When one Twitter (now X) user asked Musk about the Cybertruck's fording ability, Musk overbid by promising that the pickup "will even float for a while." To be fair, that guy never wanted an amphibious vehicle; he just wanted to know what wading depth the Cybertruck would be able to support. But the idea stuck inside Musk's head, and he continued to brag about the Cybertruck's floatability.
Two years later, Musk raised the stakes by claiming the Cybertruck would be "waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat." According to Musk, even seas that aren't too choppy would be a piece of cake for Tesla's pickup, which should be perfectly capable of crossing the channel from Starbase to South Padre Island. Of course, people and even companies started mocking Musk, with comedian Blain Capatch being the funniest. "If you drive your car off a cliff, it serves briefly as a plane," he tweeted.
Intriguingly, Tesla and Musk never mentioned Cybertruck's ability to float during the Delivery Day event. Official specifications also don't mention anything about the Cybertruck being amphibious. Until Tesla says otherwise, flooding the Cybertruck might still void the warranty. However, Tesla did take steps to ensure that the pickup truck could, at least, ford a river without getting into trouble.
Hidden in the Off-road menus, there's a "Wade Mode," which should be activated before entering the water. There's little information about this, but the brief description from the infotainment system indicates that this mode raises the air suspension and also pressurizes the battery pack. We have no idea what this means, though, and Cybertruck's user manual is still not available online to clear the waters, so to speak.
It's bizarre that the Wade Mode offers to "pressurize" the battery pack, considering that it should be watertight anyway. It could be that the Cybertruck battery pack is not watertight, though, and the Wade Mode increases the pressure inside the pack to prevent water from getting in. That would work similarly to the Bioweapon Defense Mode, only for water instead of polluted air. We should find out more about this feature and many others once the owner's manual is uploaded to Tesla's website.
Tesla started to add features to the Cybertruck, sometimes even starting development from scratch. Every time a new thing was considered, things were delayed, allowing competitors like Rivian, Ford, and GM to catch up and then launch their electric pickups before Tesla. The most bizarre feature was the Cybertruck's ability to float. We don't know how the idea of an amphibious pickup truck got traction, but it did.
When one Twitter (now X) user asked Musk about the Cybertruck's fording ability, Musk overbid by promising that the pickup "will even float for a while." To be fair, that guy never wanted an amphibious vehicle; he just wanted to know what wading depth the Cybertruck would be able to support. But the idea stuck inside Musk's head, and he continued to brag about the Cybertruck's floatability.
Two years later, Musk raised the stakes by claiming the Cybertruck would be "waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat." According to Musk, even seas that aren't too choppy would be a piece of cake for Tesla's pickup, which should be perfectly capable of crossing the channel from Starbase to South Padre Island. Of course, people and even companies started mocking Musk, with comedian Blain Capatch being the funniest. "If you drive your car off a cliff, it serves briefly as a plane," he tweeted.
Intriguingly, Tesla and Musk never mentioned Cybertruck's ability to float during the Delivery Day event. Official specifications also don't mention anything about the Cybertruck being amphibious. Until Tesla says otherwise, flooding the Cybertruck might still void the warranty. However, Tesla did take steps to ensure that the pickup truck could, at least, ford a river without getting into trouble.
Hidden in the Off-road menus, there's a "Wade Mode," which should be activated before entering the water. There's little information about this, but the brief description from the infotainment system indicates that this mode raises the air suspension and also pressurizes the battery pack. We have no idea what this means, though, and Cybertruck's user manual is still not available online to clear the waters, so to speak.
It's bizarre that the Wade Mode offers to "pressurize" the battery pack, considering that it should be watertight anyway. It could be that the Cybertruck battery pack is not watertight, though, and the Wade Mode increases the pressure inside the pack to prevent water from getting in. That would work similarly to the Bioweapon Defense Mode, only for water instead of polluted air. We should find out more about this feature and many others once the owner's manual is uploaded to Tesla's website.
This is sick. Cybertruck has a toggle for “Wade Mode” in the Off-Road Baja Settings
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) December 6, 2023
“Raises ride height and pressurizes battery when driving through water. “ pic.twitter.com/siTMdJ8uvC
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