CEO tweeted that the Cybertruck "will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat," without explaining how that will be possible.
The Tesla Cybertruck can’t come soon enough—that’s probably the understatement of the last three years that passed since the EV maker shocked the world with the unveiling of the outlandish electric pickup concept.
Since then, Tesla has delayed the debut of the production Cybertruck repeatedly, with mid-2023 being the latest estimate for the start of manufacturing at Gigafactory Texas. Over the past year, there have been many reports about the Cybertruck, a sign that Tesla is accelerating its preparations for the start of production and deliveries.
For example, we saw the production-ready Beta prototype make an appearance at the Cyber Rodeo event and learned that the design had been finalized. We also learned about several interesting features of the truck and the fact that prices and specs will change compared to those announced in November 2019.
Now, Elon Musk has dropped a fresh bombshell (on Twitter, where else?) by saying the Cybertruck will be able “to serve briefly as a boat.”
“Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes & even seas that aren’t too choppy,” Musk tweeted on September 29. He then followed up by saying that the electric pickup “needs (to) be able to get from Starbase to South Padre Island, which requires crossing the channel.”
Normally, that’s a 40-mile route on paved roads, but only about 6.5 miles on water across the South Bay (as measured on Google Maps). Is Elon Musk really suggesting the Cybertruck will be able to float on water enough to cover such a distance? If so, how will it move across the bay? And what speed can we expect the Cybertruck to reach in boat mode?
Tesla’s CEO did not provide answers to any of these questions, although the Twitter thread he created was immediately flooded with questions, many from reservation holders asking when the Cybertruck will finally enter production.
From the outside, Tesla’s mid-2023 deadline appears feasible seeing as the Gigafactory Texas is up and running and a rumored Cybertruck-specific Giga Press from IDRA was recently installed at the plant.
Additionally, Elon Musk previously said that development of the Cybertruck would end this year and production would start with a Quad-Motor version of the truck packing one additional motor to the previous top trim level, the Tri-Motor. But with the Cybertruck postponed so many times before, reservation holders probably won’t hold their breath for a 2023 launch.
Keyword: Tesla Cybertruck Will "Cross Rivers, Lakes And Even Seas," Musk Says