What depth water safe to drive through?

I once witnessed a car drive into a flooding street and die. Another car came up and tried to drive around it and died. Another came up and did the same. Then a pickup and same. I left after I saw 6 vehicles all do the same thing, they hydrolocked their engines.

 

Tesla is wise to have developed a wading mode for cybertruck that pressurizes the battery pack to prevent water getting in. Of course that feature gets more people broke down in high water than it prevents because... Well, you know...

Meanwhile a decade ago EV motorcycle maker Zero built motorcycles for the special forces / US military that can be ridden as deep under water as rider's Scuba gear is able to go.

 

There is a video on facebook in one of the Prius 5 groups of someone driving briskly through about 6 inches of water on flooded streets in a Prius 5. I am too cautious to try this myself and nobody at the dealer told me about this "feature". Looking forward to some real life stories!

 

That's a FULL EV - NO ICE. Impressive for it's size and weight.
Full disclosure; BYD states that your must bring it into a dealership for a full comprehensive inspection; it this happens.

 

Sorry for the delay in responding. The manual doesn’t address flood waters specifically but has multiple warnings concerning travel through high water levels effecting multiple systems. Enough that I wouldn’t even consider doing it, especially water levels high enough to enter under the doors.

 

I've been preparing my whole entire driving life for this question.

The technical answer, according to 2010s American driver's ed is that you should not drive in more than an inch or water or you risk hydroplaning, which can lead to an accident that will destroy your engine.

I kind of adhere to this rule since both of the Priuses I've owned have been so light that winter winds almost take them off the road, but I did see video of a Prius confidently driving through the flooding from a hurricane this year with water just below the hood so, you know.

If you dream hard enough you can do anything.