On a sunny Monday morning in Ventura, California, a strange sort of event unfolded at the harbor of that city.
Turns out, a Tesla Cybertruck, with its rather sleek look and heavy-duty features, somehow wound up in the water at the harbor.
Now this event had not only surprised witnesses but also raised an eyebrow regarding the abilities of the car. Especially considering previous statements from Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, who boasted about its capabilities.
How it all went down
The Cybertruck owner, around 11 am, was said to have attempted to place a jet ski in the harbor. But, according to reports, in a moment of absentmindedness, the driver had accidentally put the truck in reverse instead of drive. When he accelerated, believing he was going forward, the truck bucked in reverse, sliding down the ramp and into the water.
The driver managed to at least get out of the vehicle before it sank fully. But eyewitnesses still watched in shock as the Cybertruck’s futuristic, aerodynamic shape dove into the water and rested at a depth of around eight feet.
The unexpected sinking was immediately followed by a response from various agencies. Ventura Harbor Patrol, Ventura City Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife all ended up at the scene. Their main concerns ,of course, were the safety of the driver and the potential environmental harm. Since the Cybertruck was running on a lithium-ion battery, there was also the possibility of leakage or combustion if it came into contact with seawater. Another Tesla field engineer also appeared, to assess the gravity of the situation.
How they tried to salvage it all
In order to remove the submerged truck, some serious coordination was required. TowBoatUS Ventura lowered a diver into the mucky water to attach cables to the truck. Once tied down, the Cybertruck was removed slowly, water pouring from its interior and bed. The public observed the now-wet, dripping truck being removed, confused that it didn’t float as Musk has once claimed it could.
But Elon Musk’s said it could
The accident serves to recall previous remarks by Elon Musk regarding the aquatic capabilities of the Cybertruck (something the government itself bought into)
In 2022, Musk said that the Cybertruck (which has recently had its selling price knocked down) would be “waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat” and that it would be able to drive across rivers, lakes, and even tranquil seas (yes… he said seas). He claimed that the truck would be capable of driving across the channel between SpaceX’s Starbase and South Padre Island in Texas, which is some 360 meters wide. But the Ventura Harbor incident implies that actual situations may not gel so perfectly with these high-flung statements.
The people in the area reacted differently to what had happened. There were those who showed pity for the driver since everyone makes mistakes. Others considered the accident a lesson on overestimating the capabilities of these sort of futuristic cars. The video of the underwater Cybertruck really showed that, in spite of technological innovation, human mistakes are always present.
The accident also brought to the fore safety concerns associated with electric vehicles (EVs) especially near bodies of water. Traditional vehicles present their own level of danger when underwater, but EVs now have the added concern of high-voltage batteries.
Water, especially saltwater, can lead to short circuits or even overheating. Emergency responders have to exercise extra caution while responding to such accidents in order to ensure human safety and environmental conservation.
As the appetite for electric vehicles continues to grow, incidents like the Ventura Harbor submersion offer a rather teachable moment for us all.
We should never talk what popular figures like Musk says at face value. Manufacturers should be forced to provide more explicit explanations of their car’s capabilities, especially in terms of ‘non-traditional applications’ like floating on water.