Tesla’s Cybertruck could soon transform into a boat, says Musk

By Trevor Mogg Published December 20, 2023

Picture the scene. You’re out on a lake, rowing a boat, enjoying the sunny weather. And then, from nowhere, a Cybertruck bobs by.

If Elon Musk gets his way, such a scenario could become a reality, after the Tesla CEO suggested on social media on Tuesday that the automaker is “going to offer a mod package that enables Cybertruck to traverse at least 100m of water as a boat,” adding: “Mostly just need to upgrade cabin door seals.”

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Well, if an amphibious “Duck” bus can do it, why not a Cybertruck?

Musk’s comment came after Lars Moravy — Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering — told former talk show host and gearhead Jay Leno recently that Musk is keen on the Cybertruck being able to transform into a boat.

“Maybe you have to add a little bit of extra buoyancy just to keep it up,” Moravy told Leno. “If you’re creative, you could figure out how to put an outboard motor plugged into your outlet there, turn it on from your screen and go boating.”

It’s not the first time Musk has expressed a desire to see Tesla’s recently launched, fully electric pickup take to water.

In a social media post more than a year before the vehicle’s November launch, Musk wrote: “Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes & even seas that aren’t too choppy.”

But take note: The new vehicle launched without a swimming certificate, so current owners should definitely avoid taking their Cybertruck for a dip. Because it will sink.

The Cybertruck’s outlandish design already sets it well apart from competing electric pickups, but having the ability to float would take that uniqueness to a whole new level.

No timeline has been mentioned about when we might see a Cybertruck that can float on water. The Cybertruck took four years from unveiling to launch, so if it ever happens, it’s likely to be a while yet.

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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Ending EV tax rebate could seriously harm Tesla, Chevrolet, and Volkswagen sales, study finds

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While predictions vary, with some expecting this would lead to a 27% drop in demand for EVs, research firm J.D. Power took an extra step and asked consumers how rebates had influenced their decision to buy an EV.

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Tesla posts exaggerate self-driving capacity, safety regulators say

Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned that Tesla’s use of social media and its website makes false promises about the automaker’s full-self driving (FSD) software.
The warning dates back from May, but was made public in an email to Tesla released on November 8.
The NHTSA opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD software, following three reported collisions and a fatal crash. The investigation centers on FSD’s ability to perform in “relatively common” reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
In these instances, it appears that “the driver may not be aware that he or she is responsible” to make appropriate operational selections, or “fully understand” the nuances of the system, NHTSA said.
Meanwhile, “Tesla’s X (Twitter) account has reposted or endorsed postings that exhibit disengaged driver behavior,” Gregory Magno, the NHTSA’s vehicle defects chief investigator, wrote to Tesla in an email.
The postings, which included reposted YouTube videos, may encourage viewers to see FSD-supervised as a “Robotaxi” instead of a partially automated, driver-assist system that requires “persistent attention and intermittent intervention by the driver,” Magno said.
In one of a number of Tesla posts on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a driver was seen using FSD to reach a hospital while undergoing a heart attack. In another post, a driver said he had used FSD for a 50-minute ride home. Meanwhile, third-party comments on the posts promoted the advantages of using FSD while under the influence of alcohol or when tired, NHTSA said.
Tesla’s official website also promotes conflicting messaging on the capabilities of the FSD software, the regulator said.
NHTSA has requested that Tesla revisit its communications to ensure its messaging remains consistent with FSD’s approved instructions, namely that the software provides only a driver assist/support system requiring drivers to remain vigilant and maintain constant readiness to intervene in driving.
Tesla last month unveiled the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle has been promoted as a robotaxi, a self-driving vehicle operated as part of a ride-paying service, such as the one already offered by Alphabet-owned Waymo.
But Tesla’s self-driving technology has remained under the scrutiny of regulators. FSD relies on multiple onboard cameras to feed machine-learning models that, in turn, help the car make decisions based on what it sees.
Meanwhile, Waymo’s technology relies on premapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), which might be very costly, but has met the approval of safety regulators.

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Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says

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Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.