Tesla sunk in Lake Traunsee – driver completely surprised by Autopilot

Even though Elon Musk has stated several times that a Tesla theoretically floats well enough “to turn it into a boat for a short time,” the driver of the recently sunk electric car in Gmunden, Upper Austria, certainly had other things in mind than the truth of this statement check. As she writes, there was a very strange accident on October 21st around 1:20 p.m.

Accordingly, a 45-year-old Czech man landed his car in Lake Traunsee because he was surprised by his car’s reaction to an “obstacle that was not on the road.” The driver stated that his Tesla initially initiated emergency braking for inexplicable reasons while the autopilot was active. The driver then said the car accelerated again. They say both happened for no apparent reason.

The driver was so frightened by the car’s rapid acceleration that he jerked the steering wheel. The problem: If you drive south along Traunstein Street, as he did in this case, the shore of Lake Traunsee is on the right-hand side. And that’s exactly where the man ended up after his spontaneous act.

The good news: The driver was able to free himself from the car. The fire department then recovered the vehicle from a depth of five meters. Advantage of electric vehicle: “There was never any environmental impact,” the police subsequently reported.

The Tesla is now part of further investigations into the exact nature of the case. The autopilot is a recurring topic among authorities around the world. In the USA, where the software has far greater freedom than in the EU, major accidents occur in connection with it, sometimes resulting in fatalities.

It was recently announced that the US Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating four accidents that occurred when Autopilot was active and visibility was poor. The experts are therefore investigating whether the system recognized the poor visibility conditions and responded appropriately.

Unlike competitor systems, Tesla consciously avoids using more expensive sensor technology such as laser radars. The cars rely solely on their cameras, which, in Elon Musk’s opinion, is completely sufficient for a vehicle to maneuver safely through traffic without manual intervention.

What’s more: A few weeks ago, Tesla announced that it would bring self-driving robotaxis without steering wheels and pedals onto the market from 2026 – the technology shouldn’t change much.