Tesla Model S Plaid’s Daring Underwater Drive Is Successful, But Costly Aftermath

As floods lash parts of New Zealand, an EV enthusiast recently took to Twitter to prove the ‘superiority’ of a Tesla Model S Plaid over gas-powered combustion vehicles, re-sharing a video from last year of the EV driving through 7-feet of water.

That car’s owner, who goes by the name of Chellin’ with Chet on YouTube, has performed numerous other stunts in his Model S Plaid over the last year or so and performed this one back in September.

Watch: See What Happens When You Try To Drive A Tesla Model S Plaid Under 7 Feet Of Water

Testing out the car’s water-wading capabilities required a large artificial lake to be made and filled with water. The YouTuber then proceeded to drive slowly into it and before long, the water got so deep that it almost covered the entire windshield of the EV.

It’s difficult to tell if the Model S Plaid was floating at some point or if the water was shallow enough for its wheels to keep in contact with the bottom. Either way, the EV seemingly performs very well and manages to drive out the other side. However, some modifications were done to seal up the passenger compartment and even still, some water did start to find its way inside.

So, what was the aftermath after the stunt? Well, in a follow-up video, the YouTuber revealed that both the front and rear drive units had water seep into them and that both of them had to be replaced at a cost of $15,000. In addition, the car’s in-built GPS system is no longer working, and neither is the odometer.

In the clip, he also expresses frustrations at Tesla not being able to fully diagnose and repair all of the issues, even though all of the problems are of his own doing. He also notes that the electric car manufacturer has voided the Model S’s warranty, unsurprisingly.