Offer Cybertruck with Boating Mod Package: CEO
Around a year since, Tesla CEO Elon Musk caused a sensation when he professed the Cybertruck could act as a watercraft for brief periods. His outlandish statement, however, has yet to deter the imaginative head honcho from his objective.
Tesla’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy recently joined Jay Leno to chat about the Cybertruck. Moravy stated, “Elon did want to make it a boat. The vehicle almost floats. If you need a bit of extra buoyancy to keep it afloat, that’s an easy fix. If you’re feeling creative, you can even attach an outboard motor [on the back] and go boating.”
Naturally, this caused quite a stir on social media, with Tesla enthusiast Sawyer Merritt sharing a clip of the post. Elon Musk replied to the tweet, writing, “We are going to offer a mod package that enables Cybertruck to traverse at least 100m of water as a boat. Mostly just need to upgrade cabin door seals.”The news that Elon Musk was planning to make the Tesla Cybertruck amphibious sent shockwaves through the internet. Sawyer Merritt, a dedicated Tesla fan, posted the news on Twitter and it quickly gained traction. Musk replied to the tweet, confirming that they would be offering a modification package which would allow the Cybertruck to travel across at least 100m of water. He also mentioned that the main change would be to upgrade the cabin door seals.
No stranger to outlandish claims, Musk’s newest statement could potentially be ignored with little surprise. From Moravy’s words, it appears that a ‘boat mode’ for the Cybertruck isn’t unfeasible, notably if only some small modifications are essential. According to Musk, mostly proofing against water should do the job; however, we assume it would take more adjustments than this.
Yet, we should not overlook the fact that the Cybertruck with its nautical nature would not be an authentic boat. Musk stated it could pass through at least 100 metres of water as a vessel or for roughly 328 feet. Hence, it could potentially perform as a boat in times of trouble like floods – but for short periods only. Do not anticipate it to take you plus acquaintances to a close by isle.
Interestingly, that is what Musk had in mind when he initially stated the Cybertruck would be able to act as a boat. He asserted the electric truck would be able to “get from Starbase to South Padre Island, which requires crossing the channel.” That’s quite a bold statement, and with an estimated distance of 1,564 feet, it’s possible the intended Cybertruck boat mode may not reach this goal.
“In 2022, Musk said, ‘You’d need an electric propeller mounted on the tow hitch to go faster than a few knots,’ and added that a creative wheel hub design could ‘generate meaningful thrust.’ Then again, the automaker may surprise us. Knowing Tesla, it may take years for this concept to come to fruition. Of course, to accomplish this, the Cybertruck would require extensive changes.”
It is very likely that Tesla could be influenced by the Cybercat, a patented concept that alters the distinct pickup construction into an entirely practical catamaran.
An electric propeller fitted to the tow hitch could be what you need to propel you past a few knots. A possible solution is a newly-constructed wheel hub configuration that would result in significant thrust.
