It’s Not China’s Floating Cars: Moment Raging Floodwater Sweeps Tesla Away In Connecticut

A Tesla Model S was swept away after its driver attempted to cross a heavily flooded street in Connecticut on Sunday, September 13, during torrential rain that dumped several inches of rain across communities within a matter of hours.

Video footage circulating online shows the red electric sedan entering deep floodwaters before quickly being carried away by rapidly rising water, despite the driver’s attempts to pull it back toward safety after escaping from it.

According to local reports, the area was under a flash flood warning when the driver attempted to test the limits of the Tesla, despite officials urging drivers to avoid entering flooded roads.

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The incident comes more than four months after patrol officers with the Grapevine Police Department arrested a 70-year-old Texas man for intentionally driving his Tesla Cybertruck into a lake to test its “Wade Mode” feature.

During the Texas incident, Tesla warned against taking the Cybertruck for a ride in water, noting that its “Wade Mode” allows the vehicle to drive through bodies of water with a maximum depth of 81.5 cm (32 inches).

Although electric vehicles can operate through some wet conditions, Tesla vehicles are not designed to function as boats—a capability offered by only a limited number of vehicles, including models from China’s Yangwang and Jetour, two luxury brands under BYD and Chery, respectively.

BYD’s Yangwang U8 and Chery’s Jetour G700 Ark Edition SUV are among the few vehicles equipped with technologies designed to allow them to float and navigate through deep water in emergencies such as flash floods, rather than for everyday use as boats.

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