Although sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are slumping nationwide, some models remain popular amongst the die-hard enthusiasts.
There’s one very popular EV that is consistently shown on social media posts, television, and the internet.
And this iconic electric vehicle just got called out for trying to drive through flooded streets.
AccuWeather calls out Tesla Cyber Truck
Heavy thunderstorms tore through the southern portion of the United States at the beginning of April, including New Orleans.
The Louisiana city saw 70-mile-per-hour winds and over eight inches of rain, which caused many local roads to become impassable, particularly for smaller sports cars and sedans.
Drain pumps in New Orleans weren’t able to move the water quickly enough to generate ample power in order to keep them fully operational.
But the rough weather didn’t stop a barrage of trucks and SUVs from driving on the streets that day, including a Tesla Cyber Truck that caught the attention of AccuWeather’s social media team.
The Cyber Truck was filmed driving through the flooded streets of New Orleans, although it wasn’t the only vehicle doing so.
AccuWeather called out the Tesla driver in a post on X.
“Officials urged people to avoid driving in New Orleans on Wednesday due to severe flooding, but one intrepid Tesla Cyber Truck driver tried to punch on through,” they wrote above a video showing the vehicle slogging through the flooded streets.
Even though flash floods like this one are not highly unusual in the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Texas, driving in flooded waters is extremely dangerous, regardless of a vehicle’s make and model.
Ideally, people should shelter in place when the weather gets rough.
But if someone is driving and a sudden flood occurs, trucks and SUVs are much more suited to handling it than smaller vehicles.
Tesla claims that its Cyber Truck has a special “Wade Mode” that allows the EV to “enter and drive through bodies of water. This is especially useful when off-roading and you need to drive through water, such as rivers or creeks.”
At one point, Elon Musk said the Cyber Truck could even “serve briefly as a boat” and claimed that it could cross “lakes & seas that aren’t too choppy.”
However, based on the now-viral video, it’s clear that the Cyber Truck can’t handle these conditions unless the water is extremely shallow and calm.
The Cyber Truck isn’t cut out for storms
Last December, Musk said the Cyber Truck would someday include an optional “boat” mode, but it hasn’t yet come to fruition.
For now, there are no Cyber Trucks that can double as a boat.
According to Tesla, the maximum wade depth of the Cyber Truck is 32 inches from the bottom of the tire.
When set to this mode, the vehicle’s ride height is set to “Very High” and can be used for up to 30 minutes in high waters, as long as it’s going at a slow rate of speed.
The EV company also warned consumers against using this feature.
“It is your responsibility to gauge the depth of any body of water before entering,” they warned. “Damage or water ingress to Cyber Truck as a result of driving in water is not covered by the warranty.”
Patriot Political will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
