Photo: @JoeTegtmeyer via Twitter
Elon Musk famously said that the Cybertruck should be "waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat," causing people to roll on the floor laughing. Still, Musk seems to be serious about this strange Cybertruck feature. New documents show that Tesla filed to build a boat dock at Giga Texas.
Besides being known as Tesla's most advanced production facility in the US, Giga Texas is also where the Cybertruck will be produced later this year. Even though the Austin gigafactory is already building cars, construction work continues at a fast pace. Drone footage shows new buildings added while complicated machinery is brought to the site. Things are interesting enough that people observe Giga Texas premises daily to spot changes that might reveal secret details about the Cybertruck production.
Fans have gone even further, scouting for permits that Tesla filed with local authorities. These can be interesting, as they reveal Tesla's plans in the area. That's how Joe Tegtmeyer, a Tesla fan and regular drone pilot around Giga Texas, discovered that Tesla has filed to build a boat dock. The Colorado River flows to the south and east of the gigafactory, so it's the perfect place to build a dock. The question is, what does Tesla intend to do with it?
Thinking about it, Elon Musk's words from September 2022 can offer a clue. Tesla CEO wanted the Cybertruck to be able to cross the strait between the Starbase and South Padre Island in South Texas. People mocked him back then, especially as nobody knew what "serving briefly as a boat" might mean. Comedian Blain Capatch caught the moment perfectly, saying that when you drive your car off a cliff, it serves briefly as a plane.
If Tesla wants to make the Cybertruck amphibious, it must test it in all scenarios. This is where a boat dock comes in handy, especially as the Colorado River flows nearby. The permit discovered by Tegtmeyer doesn't offer more clues. Still, the project name is "Production Support Area," which doesn't exclude testing. Is Tesla building the dock to test the Cybertruck's ability as a boat? It could be, but we're yet to see a prototype testing on the water.
There are other interesting permits that Tesla applied for, with the most intriguing being for a "cyber toilet" in the middle of the Giga Texas main building. This is in the General Assembly #2 area, which is still in construction. Tesla is also expanding the main building to the south, toward the Colorado River, but we don't know if this is related to the boat dock.
Until the Cybertruck can float, the electric pickup continues its final tests, being recently spotted at the Fremont test track. The prototype featured a lower front bumper and appeared ready for production. The sighting produced the same mixed feelings as an earlier prototype, proving the Cybertruck remains more polarizing than ever.
Fans have gone even further, scouting for permits that Tesla filed with local authorities. These can be interesting, as they reveal Tesla's plans in the area. That's how Joe Tegtmeyer, a Tesla fan and regular drone pilot around Giga Texas, discovered that Tesla has filed to build a boat dock. The Colorado River flows to the south and east of the gigafactory, so it's the perfect place to build a dock. The question is, what does Tesla intend to do with it?
Thinking about it, Elon Musk's words from September 2022 can offer a clue. Tesla CEO wanted the Cybertruck to be able to cross the strait between the Starbase and South Padre Island in South Texas. People mocked him back then, especially as nobody knew what "serving briefly as a boat" might mean. Comedian Blain Capatch caught the moment perfectly, saying that when you drive your car off a cliff, it serves briefly as a plane.
If Tesla wants to make the Cybertruck amphibious, it must test it in all scenarios. This is where a boat dock comes in handy, especially as the Colorado River flows nearby. The permit discovered by Tegtmeyer doesn't offer more clues. Still, the project name is "Production Support Area," which doesn't exclude testing. Is Tesla building the dock to test the Cybertruck's ability as a boat? It could be, but we're yet to see a prototype testing on the water.
There are other interesting permits that Tesla applied for, with the most intriguing being for a "cyber toilet" in the middle of the Giga Texas main building. This is in the General Assembly #2 area, which is still in construction. Tesla is also expanding the main building to the south, toward the Colorado River, but we don't know if this is related to the boat dock.
Until the Cybertruck can float, the electric pickup continues its final tests, being recently spotted at the Fremont test track. The prototype featured a lower front bumper and appeared ready for production. The sighting produced the same mixed feelings as an earlier prototype, proving the Cybertruck remains more polarizing than ever.
There are 18 new permits filed with the City of Austin for Giga Texas (March to May). "Cyber Restrooms", Tesla Road widening, Boat Docks, building extension & tons of interior changes. Here are a few w/ maps showing locations. I'll go into these more in-depth in future videos! pic.twitter.com/q5NniCkSyv
— Joe Tegtmeyer ???? ???????? (@JoeTegtmeyer) May 2, 2023
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