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Tesla Model 3’s “boat mode” videos are frightening and amazing at the same time
Any driver who has ever encountered floods knows just how unnerving the experience could be. Those who have driven a manual car through a flooded road would likely remember how tricky it was to balance the throttle on second gear to ensure that water does not enter the exhaust pipe. Those who have driven older automatic cars would likely remember how cautious they had to drive to avoid water getting on the computer box.
Mistakes when wading through water could cause a car to stall. And in a flood, stalling means trouble. Lots and lots of trouble.
The recent rains in China have shown scenes of vehicles stranded in the middle of flooded streets. Such sights are not uncommon in the country, or any other place in the Asian region for that matter. In places that are visited by dozens of hurricanes or typhoons every year, seeing cars stalled due to floodwaters is not anything new. What is new is seeing a breed of vehicles that could brave the waters without stalling.
What’s amazing is that these vehicles are not massive, modified SUVs fitted with snorkels and all-terrain wheels. They’re sleek, Tesla Model 3 sedans — low on the ground, armed to the teeth with tech, and unashamedly all-electric. This has caused some social media users to dub Teslas’ capability to handle flooded streets as “Boat Mode,” in lieu of their remarkable ability to wade through water and Elon Musk’s previous comments on Twitter.
Videos of “Boat Mode” Tesla Model 3s have garnered quite a number of views on social media platforms over the past few days. The clips of the all-electric vehicle typically showed the MIC Model 3 taking on the country’s floods and surviving, while other cars on the roads were stranded. This was most evident in a video from China’s Henan province, which showed a Model 3 seemingly going full throttle in deep floodwaters.
The short clip was impressive, especially as the vehicle arguably looked very cool as it attacked the flooded street aggressively. Later reports of the incident revealed the harrowing past behind the clip. As per local reports, the Model 3 in the clip was actually coming out of a flooded tunnel where some vehicles were already trapped. This suggested that the driver was likely pushing the Model 3 through the waters out of fear.
Other videos of Tesla’s unofficial “Boat Mode” in action featured a Made-in-China Model 3 wading through a flooded highway with absolutely no issues. The video was short as well, but it showed that the all-electric sedan was functioning just fine as it overtook cars in the middle of a flood. Another video was even more shocking, as it reportedly showed the all-electric sedan fording through some heavily flooded streets in Zheng Zhou City.
Being made in a country that typically experiences floods on a regular basis, Tesla China’s Model 3s are built with water wading capabilities in mind. This is highlighted in Gigafactory Shanghai’s simulator for flooded roads, which is used on both the Model 3 and the Model Y.
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Tesla seeks approval to test FSD Supervised in new Swedish city
Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.
Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.
As per local outlet Jönköpings-Posten, Tesla has contacted the municipality with a request to begin FSD (Supervised) tests in the city. The company has already received approval to test its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software in several Swedish municipalities, as well as on the national road network.
Sofia Bennerstål, Tesla’s Head of Public Policy for Northern Europe, confirmed that an application has been submitted for FSD’s potential tests in Jönköping.
“I can confirm that we have submitted an application, but I cannot say much more about it,” Bennerstål told the news outlet. She also stated that Tesla is “satisfied with the tests” in the region so far.
The planned tests in Jönköping would involve a limited number of Tesla-owned vehicles. Trained Tesla safety drivers would remain behind the wheel and be prepared to intervene if necessary.
Tesla previously began testing in Nacka municipality after receiving local approval. At the time, the company stated that cooperation between authorities, municipalities, and industry enables technological progress and helps integrate future transport systems into real-world traffic conditions, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report.
If approved, Jönköping would become the latest Swedish municipality to allow local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing.
Tesla’s Swedish testing program is part of the company’s efforts to validate its supervised autonomous driving software in everyday traffic environments. Municipal approvals allow Tesla to gather data in urban settings that include roundabouts, complex intersections, and mixed traffic conditions.
Sweden has become an increasingly active testing ground for Tesla’s driver-assistance software in Europe, with regulatory coordination between local authorities and national agencies enabling structured pilot programs.
Elon Musk
Microsoft partners with Starlink to expand rural internet access worldwide
The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress.
Microsoft has announced a new collaboration with Starlink as part of its expanding digital access strategy, following the company’s claim that it has extended internet connectivity coverage to more than 299 million people worldwide.
The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress, where Microsoft detailed how it surpassed its original goal of bringing internet access to 250 million people by the end of 2025.
In a blog post, Microsoft confirmed that it is now working with Starlink to expand connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach regions.
“Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships,” the company wrote.
The partnership is designed to complement Microsoft’s existing work with local internet providers and infrastructure companies across Africa, Latin America, and India, among other areas. Microsoft noted that traditional infrastructure alone cannot meet demand in some regions, making low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity an important addition.
Kenya was cited as an early example. Working with Starlink and local provider Mawingu Networks, Microsoft is supporting connectivity for 450 community hubs in rural and underserved areas. These hubs include farmer cooperatives, aggregation centers, and digital access facilities intended to support agricultural productivity and AI-enabled services.
Microsoft stated that 2.2 billion people globally remain offline, and that connectivity gaps risk widening as AI adoption accelerates.
Starlink’s expanding constellation, now numbering more than 9,700 satellites in orbit, provides near-global coverage, making it one of the few systems capable of delivering broadband to remote regions without relying on terrestrial infrastructure.
Starlink is expected to grow even more in the coming years as well, especially as SpaceX transitions its fleet to Starship, which is capable of carrying significantly larger payloads compared to its current workhorse, the Falcon 9.
Elon Musk
Tesla expands US LFP battery supply with LG Energy Solution deal: report
The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.
LG Energy Solution (LGES) will manufacture lithium iron phosphate (LFP) energy storage system (ESS) batteries for Tesla at its Lansing, Michigan facility.
The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.
LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site. With a production capacity of 50 GWh per year, it is one of the company’s largest facilities in North America.
LG Energy Solution is converting part of the Lansing factory to produce LFP batteries for energy storage systems. Equipment orders for the new lines have already been placed, and mass production is reportedly expected to begin in the second half of next year.
Last July, LG Energy Solution disclosed a 5.94 trillion won battery supply agreement running from August 2027 to July 2030. While the company did not name the customer, industry sources pointed to Tesla as the buyer.
Tesla has primarily used CATL’s prismatic batteries for its Megapack systems. The move to source prismatic LFP cells from LG Energy Solution’s U.S. plant could then be seen as part of Tesla’s efforts to bolster its North American supply base for its energy storage business.
For the Lansing conversion, LG Energy Solution reportedly plans to use electrode equipment originally ordered under its Ultium Cells venture with General Motors. Suppliers reportedly include CIS and Hirano Tecseed for electrode systems, TSI for mixing equipment, CK Solution for heat exhaust systems, A-Pro for formation equipment, and Shinjin Mtech for assembly kits.
Tesla currently manufactures energy storage products at facilities in California and Shanghai, though another Megafactory that produces the Megapack is also expected to be built in Texas. As per recent reports, the Texas Megafactory recently advanced with a major property sale.