Bear in mind final yr, when Tesla boss Elon Musk proudly proclaimed that his electrical pickup, the Cybertruck, could be capable of “serve briefly as a ship?” Properly now, whereas we had been all ready for that automobile to materialize, Chinese language automaker BYD has solely gone and made an electrical SUV that may handle simply that.

The newest mannequin from Chinese language automaker BYD is the YangWang U8, an opulent off-roader that’s concentrating on the likes of the Vary Rover and the G-Wagen from Mercedes, however with electrical energy at its coronary heart. In its super-rugged Off-road Grasp Version, the YangWang comes with a neat trick: Yachting Mode.

Based on CarScoops, the mode takes a number of important steps like sealing the doorways, switching the A/C to recirculation and opening up the sunroof to supply passengers a straightforward escape route ought to issues go south. As soon as all of these settings are confirmed, CarScoops studies that the 7,000 lb SUV can then float on water for as much as half-hour.

What’s extra, the electrical SUV gained’t simply float aimlessly with the present, the automobile’s 4 wheels will nonetheless be operable and might propel the automobile alongside at a pace of as much as 1.8 mph.

In the event you aren’t fairly courageous sufficient to take your 1,089,000 yuan ($149,008) electrical SUV crusing simply but, the automobile is equally succesful in shallower waters. BYD claims that the Off-road Version can wade as much as 55 inches, which is greater than you can handle within the new Defender.

However earlier than you are able to do this, it’s important to have interaction the automobile’s snorkel, because it wants one to maintain air pumping to the two-liter turbocharged engine, which serves as a spread extender on the YangWang U8.

The onboard engine can recharge the automobile’s batteries at a price of 49.05 kWh. And with a full cost and a brimmed tank, the U8 can cowl as much as 621 miles earlier than it’s important to cease once more.