Cybertruck + catamaran = Cybercat™

MEDICALJMP

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This thing seems better thought out then it seems at first glance. Still think it’s a bit crazy, but who knows.
That's exactly what many people said weeks after Cybertruck reveal as the shock wore away.
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Ogre

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100 miles on the water is enough to get to SF.

-Crissa
For those days when there is a Highway 17 has a nasty wreck and traffic is blocked for hours.

(Just a guess)

Lots of situations where it would be nice to have a traffic go-around in the Bay Area.
 


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I mentioned earlier I thought the Cybercat concept was overly complicated for short crossings.

Here’s a link to a pontoon manufacturer.

https://maxxoninflatableboats.com/products/xpt-22-30w

Some slight modifications to the assembly of these pontoons would make these a perfect solution that uses the structure of the vehicle to support the pontoons.



With some rock sliders, the pontoons could be attached in a way that allows them to float to the side while the vehicle enters the water then when in deep enough water the pontoons can be brought down into the water by pulling them in a 90° arc medially to the side raising the vehicle.
A front mounted winch could provide this
medial pull.
In the rear the tow hitch can be used to mount an array of electric outboards.

I hope the App Store will allow for custom control ports for a winch, an outboard motor, other ancillary control servos etc.

Similar to this but not so over engineered.

Tesla Cybertruck Cybertruck + catamaran = Cybercat™ 1644836595640

Tesla Cybertruck Cybertruck + catamaran = Cybercat™ 1644837086061

But maybe slightly more engineered that these two;

Tesla Cybertruck Cybertruck + catamaran = Cybercat™ 1644837165011

Tesla Cybertruck Cybertruck + catamaran = Cybercat™ 1644837271009
 
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Ogre

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I mentioned earlier I thought the Cybercat concept was overly complicated for short crossings.

Here’s a link to a pontoon manufacturer.

https://maxxoninflatableboats.com/products/xpt-22-30w

Some slight modifications to the assembly of these pontoons would make these a perfect solution that uses the structure of the vehicle to support the pontoons.



With some rock sliders, the pontoons could be attached in a way that allows them to float to the side while the vehicle enters the water then when in deep enough water the pontoons can be brought down into the water by pulling them in a 90° arc medially to the side raising the vehicle.
A front mounted winch could provide this
medial pull.
In the rear the tow hitch can be used to mount an array of electric outboards.

I hope the App Store will allow for custom control ports for a winch, an outboard motor, other ancillary control servos etc.

Similar to this but not so over engineered.

1644836595640.jpeg

1644837086061.jpeg

But maybe slightly more engineered that these two;

1644837165011.jpeg

1644837271009.jpeg
Great thing about this kind of setup on an ICE vehicle is you get the engine nice and hot and give it a nice rinse to clean off all of that accumulated oil and grease right into a river bed where it’ll get harmlessly whisked away.

What an idlillic way to start a fishing trip.
 

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Great thing about this kind of setup on an ICE vehicle is you get the engine nice and hot and give it a nice rinse to clean off all of that accumulated oil and grease right into a river bed where it’ll get harmlessly whisked away.

What an idlillic way to start a fishing trip.
?

-Crissa
 

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Great thing about this kind of setup on an ICE vehicle is you get the engine nice and hot and give it a nice rinse to clean off all of that accumulated oil and grease right into a river bed where it’ll get harmlessly whisked away.

What an idlillic way to start a fishing trip.
I'm assuming sarcasm from you here Ogre... but I do wonder how many Overlanders and 4X4 enthusiasts consider will consider this advantage an EV has over ICE.

Water crossings in general (with or without water wing accessories) have so much less risk involved when driving an EV.

Would it even be part of the decision matrix?
 
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Ogre

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I'm assuming sarcasm form you here Ogre... but I do wonder how many Overlanders and 4X4 enthusiasts consider will consider this advantage an EV has over ICE.

Water crossings in general (with or without water wing accessories) have so much less risk involved when driving an EV.

Would it even be part of the decision matrix?
I’m not entirely sure there is less risk. Batteries are their own sort of environmental hazard. What happens if the battery pack is cracked and you don’t notice it until you are in the water?

Honest Q here, not trying to drum up fears. Just not as sure EV is a slam dunk here.
 


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I’m not entirely sure there is less risk. Batteries are their own sort of environmental hazard. What happens if the battery pack is cracked and you don’t notice it until you are in the water?

Honest Q here, not trying to drum up fears. Just not as sure EV is a slam dunk here.
I'm not sure but I believe the battery packs a monitored for such occurrences.

Can anyone confirm if it's a positive pressure sealed unit? I know there are valves but not sure if internal air pressure is monitored...

I'm pretty sure the valves on the Cybertruck will come with breather hoses or that will be an after market modification for those that intend to do regular river crossings. Wouldn't be too much of an effort to mod a pressure monitor on the battery pack. integration to the UI? that could be more difficult.

Do we have a page of Cybertruck feature requests? Itemised, codified and rated?
Surely there's a spread sheet for Tesla to ensure they are hitting some of our marks?
 

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Do we have a page of Cybertruck feature requests? Itemised, codified and rated?
Surely there's a spread sheet for Tesla to ensure they are hitting some of our marks?
Ummmm.... how is this not a thing? Am I really that bad at using the search function?
 
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I mentioned earlier I thought the Cybercat concept was overly complicated for short crossings.

Here’s a link to a pontoon manufacturer.

https://maxxoninflatableboats.com/products/xpt-22-30w

Some slight modifications to the assembly of these pontoons would make these a perfect solution that uses the structure of the vehicle to support the pontoons.



With some rock sliders, the pontoons could be attached in a way that allows them to float to the side while the vehicle enters the water then when in deep enough water the pontoons can be brought down into the water by pulling them in a 90° arc medially to the side raising the vehicle.
A front mounted winch could provide this
medial pull.
In the rear the tow hitch can be used to mount an array of electric outboards.

I hope the App Store will allow for custom control ports for a winch, an outboard motor, other ancillary control servos etc.

Similar to this but not so over engineered.

1644836595640.jpeg

1644837086061.jpeg

But maybe slightly more engineered that these two;

1644837165011.jpeg

1644837271009.jpeg
Hi *****,

Thanks for your feedback.

Using winches as an actuating force is innovative. However, this has its own complexity from a setup perspective because the winches and rock sliders need to be added to the CT as well as the connecting lines. From the perspective of robustness, the lines would be exposed in the water and are at risk of being damaged by floating debris (at least in how I'm imagining the implementation of the design you are suggesting).

I think the key operative words here are “short crossings”. If the design objective is to cross small distances of water at slow speeds, I agree with you, there are simpler designs. In this case you don’t need to worry about corrosion or hydrodynamic efficiency which steer the design toward the solution of holding the vehicle body entirely out of the water. There are a few commercial examples for this less demanding use case and numerous hobbyist examples like the Camel Trophy competition and the Land Rover Bering Strait crossing, which you show some pictures from. I specifically callout Water Traxx Pontoon System for ATVs in FAQ#3:

https://watertraxxinc.com/

I think once you get into the load equations for your proposal you will find that dynamic loading, even at slower speeds through chop, will be more than the front and rear mounting points alone can withstand. Also, it is unclear whether the CT will have mounting points for rock sliders because the undercarriage is entirely flat and the thick skid plate is directly adjacent to the battery pack (probably no bolt holes drilled into it).

The frame of the Cybercat as show is designed to direct load directly into the vehicle’s lift points which are structurally design for much higher loads and are guaranteed to be present on the CT (or any other EV).

Finally, I would say that a lot of the perceived complexity comes as a result of the intersection of design requirements to 1) enable the frame to compactly stow in the vault for transport while 2) make installation foolproof and 3) provide robustness to alleviate the negative gut reactions around safety that the less engineering inclined tend to have. If people don't mind components permanently affixed to their CT, negatively affecting their normal driving range and vehicle clearances, the design can be simplified.
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