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Tesla Cybertruck’s potential amphibious capabilities are starting to become realistic
In a recent lighthearted post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk referenced the Cybertruck’s potential amphibious capabilities once more. Musk’s tweet was a response to a rather humorous concept video featuring the all-electric pickup being used as a boat. And while such a concept may be farfetched for the skeptics, the idea of an amphibious vehicle may actually be pretty feasible.
The amusing render was created by Slav Popovski, the same 3D artist that came up with a realistic concept video of the next-gen Tesla Roadster SpaceX Package’s 0-60 mph launch. Musk, for his part, stated that Tesla could probably give the all-electric pickup a similar function. “I think we could make it work,” the CEO noted. This echoed a previous tweet that Musk posted in April, when he noted that the Cybertruck would “float for a while” when traversing deep waters.
Recent images of the Tesla Cybertruck at the Petersen Automotive Museum have revealed that the vehicle may actually be designed to resist being breached with water. As indicated by pictures from the Tesla community, several sections of the Cybertruck’s underbody seem to be watertight, and the vehicle’s suspension area seemed to be sealed as well. This suggests that Elon Musk’s statements about the Cybertruck’s amphibious capabilities may be less outlandish than expected.
Musk has been pretty open about his love for vehicles that can travel on both land and water. In 2013, Musk purchased the actual Lotus Esprit S1 movie prop from the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, which became iconic due to its capability to transform from a sports car into a submarine. Musk would later joke that he was disappointed to find out that the Lotus did not really transform into a submarine, and that he would probably attempt an amphibious vehicle using Tesla tech.
The CEO revisited this idea in the 2019 Annual Shareholder Meeting, when he stated that a submarine car is “technically possible.” Musk did admit that the market for such vehicles would be small, but he suggested that there will probably be a lot of enthusiasm around the project.
A novel amphibious car has actually been attempted over ten years ago by Swiss niche automaker Rinspeed. During the Geneva Motor Show in 2008, the company took the wraps off its all-electric sQuba amphibious sports car. The vehicle ran on lithium ion batteries and was built on top of a Lotus Elise, which actually makes it pretty similar to the original Tesla Roadster, at least to some degree.
Granted, the sQuba was slower than Tesla’s sports car with its top speed of 75 mph, but it does have the capability to travel over water, and up to 33 ft underwater. The vehicle even came equipped with scuba tanks for its two passengers, which are incredibly useful when the vehicle is in its submarine configuration. Unfortunately, the sQuba has so far not made it to production, with Rinspeed founder and CEO Frank M. Rinderknecht stating that the appeal of such a vehicle is very limited due to the fact that it was mostly a toy for the wealthy.
But the Cybertruck is no niche vehicle, nor is it a novel toy for the rich. Starting at less than $40,000 for its RWD variant, the Cybertruck is made for utility and actual, tough work. This means that if the Cybertruck were to have actual amphibious abilities, it could have practical, real-world uses. The vehicle could be used as a rescue pickup for the Coast Guard, for example, since it could function as a boat to some degree.
Of course, these are all speculations for now. That being said, Elon Musk does have a reputation for bringing to market products and features that were initially thought of as a joke. The Boring Company’s Not-a-Flamethrower is one of these, and Tesla’s amusing Emissions Testing Mode (aka Fart Mode) is another. With these in mind, and with the Cybertruck seemingly being designed to withstand water, perhaps the idea of an amphibious all-electric pickup is not too farfetched after all.
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Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.
Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
