It is common knowledge that you do not mix electricity and water. That is why we don’t have electric sockets near the bathtub. The same logic doesn’t hold true for electric cars though. A video from Kazakhstan shows a Tesla S plunge through a tunnel with over 3 feet of water while larger and smaller combustion powered vehicles came to a dead stall.
Apparently, the combination of the lack of low lying air intake pipes seen on most non-offroad combustion vehicles and a battery and motor housed in a sealed water proof compartment is sufficient for getting out of a sticky situation involving flooded roads. Tesla’s founder Elon Musk affirmed this and said in a tweet that “we *def* don’t recommended this, but Model S floats well enough to turn into a boat for short periods of time. Thrust via wheel rotation”
The video showing the Tesla S steam past torrents of water has enhanced its viability to operate on the streets of India.. Flash flooding on Indian streets will definitely push the aquatic ambitions of Tesla’s vehicles to their limit. Tesla is looking to enter India by 2017 and eventually set up a manufacturing facility in India. Bookings will start at around 23 lakh and a pan-India charging structure is on the cards.