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Tesla Model S Floats Well Enough To Act As a Boat, According To Elon Musk
It appears a Tesla Model S car can float and effectively drive on water. Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted a video of a Model S car which was able to float well through a flooded tunnel in Kazakhstan. Musk also noted that the company "definitely" doesn't recommend trying this -- but still vouched for the availability of this feature. The Guardian reports: The car appears to power through the water using the thrust of the wheels turning in the water, as the bow wave laps over the car's bonnet. Most internal combustion engine cars are sunk in water when the exhaust becomes flooded, which is why serious off-roaders have big exhaust scoops leading to the roof. Electric cars don't suffer from that particular issue, but how the rest of the car will react is unknown.
have big exhaust scoops
Don't you mean "intake snorkel?"
I think this is incorrect:
Most internal combustion engine cars are sunk in water when the exhaust becomes flooded, which is why serious off-roaders have big exhaust scoops leading to the roof.
I think the snorkels are intakes, not exhaust - you don't want to suck water into your intake manifold.
What are you talking about? If you're talking about the suspension issue, the NHTSA investigated and found no problem with Tesla suspensions (and furthermore that 93% of the complaints were fraudulent).
Monkeywrench Ex Machina.
I am sorry, but that car wasn't floating. The wheels and tires on a Tesla are going to have no forward thrust, because the entire wheel will be submerged, meaning the top of the wheel is thrusting backwards just as well as the bottom is thrusting forward.
The low profile tires on the Tesla are going to have minimal thrust anyway, because the tread is not even vaguely paddle like. For reference look at this video of the bigfoot monster truck floating across a lake. Even that truck with duallies on it (total of 8 monster truck wheels), which did float high enough for the big mudders to act like paddles, didn't make as quick forward progress as an old man in a canoe, and was extremely slow to respond to steering input.
The tesla in the video not only has enough power to push a big bow wave, it has enough steering traction to slalom through the other cars on the road. The weight of that car was obviously enough to keep the tires on the pavement at that water depth. I am not denying that the Tesla could float, nor am I denying that it may be water tight enough to float well, but it will be pretty much powerless and uncontrolled while floating.
Mr. Musk is very proud of his car, but on this video I call BS. That is not floating.
"Proximity to wonder has blunted our perception and appreciation of it" --Tim Hartnell in 'Exploring ARTIFICIAL INTELLI
And you can't extinguish a Lithium fire. You just have to wait until it burns out on its own.
What utter nonsense. Lithium is not burning via some Li + Li --> Li_2 reaction in the absence of other elements. Remove the source of molecules (e.g. water) that lithium's combining with and the fire stops.
https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
Apparently, the tax credits given to Tesla's customers for buying electric cars now count as subsidies for Tesla.
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
Unlike GM, which got a massive bailout, or VW which is partially owned by the (german) government, or virtually any other big car company who all get this or that benefit package.
You are right. Those are not subsidies. At least not by name.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Perhaps they're similar to the ones that float the deep water oil rigs.
Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once
Thank you for your opinion Anonymous Coward. But I'll go with what the NHTSA, and NCAP say about it instead. Not that I don't value your opinion, just that it's utterly wrong and worthless.