Watch A Tesla Model 3 And Porsche Taycan Drive Down Flooded Streets In Dubai

Most vehicles ground to a halt during the flooding that completely paralyzed Dubai, but some EV owners just drove through the flood.

Tesla Flood Dubai

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Apr 17, 2024 at 1:30pm ET

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Dubai got what was measured to be an entire year’s worth of rain in a single day—the heaviest rainfall it’s seen in 75 years. Since it’s such a rare occurrence, the city isn’t designed with enough drainage to cope with this much rain. Therefore, many streets became flooded and cars got stranded.

But this didn’t stop some daring electric vehicle drivers who decided it was okay to power through what at times looked like over three feet of water. Wading through water that deep in a combustion vehicle runs the risk of getting water into the intake, which can have catastrophic consequences for the engine’s internals.

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EVs don't need air to run

While internal combustion engine vehicles need to use air from the atmosphere to ignite the fuel in their cylinders, EVs don't, so they can drive underwater.

EVs don’t need air to run, and their battery pack and drive units are usually completely sealed. Even if they get almost completely submerged, as long as the water doesn’t reach any electrical connections, the wheels should still turn, and the vehicle should power out of much deeper water than an ICE vehicle. Take this video we found of a Porsche Taycan going through water that at one point goes over its windscreen; a combustion engine car would have sputtered to a halt.

In another video, we get a look from inside a Tesla as it drives through water that seems to almost go completely over the car. It undramatically gets out on the other side of the water and keeps driving, and its relaxed driver appears to be unfazed.

X user @krugermacro shot a video of a white Tesla Model 3 wading through deep water, and he posted the video with the caption “Dubai now. Brave soul. He does not make it.” However, the Tesla owner then replied to the original tweet with a video showing that they had actually made it.

What do you think?

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It’s worth noting that even though Teslas and other EVs aren’t as affected by driving through deep water as ICE vehicles, you still shouldn’t do it. Water can get into the cabin, where it could potentially cause an electrical short or make auxiliary systems malfunction. It can also cause tail lights to fog up, or exterior cameras and sensors to stop working.

Would you be willing to drive your EV through water as deep as what they had in Dubai? Let us know in the comments.

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