Tesla CEO Elon Musk retweeted a video Tuesday showing a Tesla driving through a flood during a newscast in California, hailing his company’s vehicle as “The Car Aquatic.”
In the video, a man being interviewed by a reporter from local Fox affiliate Fox 5 points to the floodwaters and says, “So you turn right, and our garage is a little underground.” A white Tesla then appears and drives straight into the water.
The Car Aquatic https://t.co/P7KYF8J8HF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 17, 2023
“We’re getting out of here,” someone off camera says multiple times.
“What is this lady doing?” another person asks from off camera. “Keep going lady! Well, you know there’s no engine.” (RELATED: ‘Only Just Begun’: Elon Musk Threatens Reputation Of ‘Legacy Media’ In Cryptic Tweet)
The vehicle plunged deep into the flooded area, made a wide 180 degree turn and sped off. At one point, the water was breaking over the car’s windshield.
“It seems when streets flood drivers lose their logical problem solving skills,” Fox 5 reporter Jaime Chambers tweeted about the video. “This woman could have done a three point turn and left without risking anything.”
In 2016, after several videos of Teslas driving through flood zones in China went viral on social media, Musk has previously said that some Teslas can operate as a kind of “boat,” according to Business Insider.
“Tesla is waterproof and prevents water ingress for a short time,” The Motor Digest explains. “The doors, windows, hood, or trunk are perfectly sealed and don’t let water in. The battery pack and motor are also sealed and encased to stay dry while driving in the water.”