On his favorite social network, Twitter, Elon Musk likes to respond in a few sentences to the questions of his subscribers. This Thursday he thus gave some additional elements of response concerning the Cybertruck.
This futuristic pick-up, announced three years ago by the businessman, has still not seen the light of day, but the announcements about it are more and more numerous. Musk does not hesitate to speak about this car which he announces as a “revolution. »
It is an integral part of the Tesla range, the Cybertruck is above all an all-terrain device that could be used in rough areas. It is precisely on this point that the big boss of the brand returned during a tweet.
An electric pick-up that becomes a boat?
To the question, is the Cybertruck a boat? The logical answer seems to be no, but Elon Musk assures the opposite. He explains that the pick-up would be waterproof enough to “serve briefly as a boat, so that it can cross rivers, lakes and even seas that are not too rough”.
The word “briefly” takes on its full importance here. Obviously Musk does not give any figures yet, he lets this idea take its place in the collective imagination. Although the idea of a boat car is touted by Musk as the novelty of the century, many models are capable of operating in water for a few seconds before sinking.
Are thermal cars also boats?
Finally, thermal cars could very well drive in a few centimeters of water, as we do when the road is wet. Things only get complicated when water gets to the hood.
At such a height, the water level will reach the air filter, which will cause the car to stop. A classic thermal model needs gasoline and air to cause combustion in the engine and move the wheels. If water takes the place of air, there is no longer any reaction in the chamber and the car does not move forward.
In order to combat this problem, certain off-road models offer an air inlet on the top of the car, making it possible to cross small streams.
Regarding the Cybertruck, Elon Musk will have to demonstrate that his car is capable of more, and that it surpasses the thermal models on this point. Being electric, contact with water is never a good thing, but one can imagine that the car will be able to cross a river a few meters wide without too many problems.