Toyota Land Cruiser Sets World Records for Longest and Deepest Underwater Drive – An Electrifying Dive
Toyotas enjoy a cult following in certain quarters owing to their rugged dependability. Over engineering of vehicles, components and powertrains help achieve this feat. Land Cruiser line is the pinnacle of this ethos and enjoys legend status. But very few think out of the box to accomplish truly spectacular deeds with their Land Cruisers.
An Australian team of divers and engineers made history on 29th July, 2023 by driving an electro modded 40 Series Land Cruiser SUV 4.3 miles (7 km) underwater with depths up to 98 feet (30 m). This stunt marked two world records. One for ‘Longest underwater drive’ and ‘Deepest underwater drive’.
Rumble in the Deep: The MudCrab’s underwater record
Inspiration comes from a previous attempt in the 80s to cross Darwin Harbour underwater. Previous efforts too involved a Land Cruise. An ICE vehicle with a 197-foot-long snorkel. And it stalled 1.8 miles (3 km) into the attempt. And thus that dream stayed at large.
In today’s day, the snorkel method was ditched. In fact, they ditched the IC engine in its entirety. Instead, they used an electric powertrain. And looked into underwater ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles) for pressure-sealing batteries, controllers, and motors with silicon oil. An old 40 Series Land Cruiser was the ideal choice being that it is easier to work with.
They wouldn’t have chosen a modern Land Cruiser for this task. Batteries, motors and other electrical and electronic components were thoroughly tested for pressure to be sustained at almost 100 feet (30m) deep, salt water.
If it swims like a mud crab, and quacks like a mud crab, then it probably is a Land Cruiser
Most EVs have IP68 ingress protection that certifies immersion in water (not salt water) at 1m. Now imagine pressure at 30m. On July 29th 2023, MudCrab the Land Cruiser set sail at around 9 AM. A team of 30 divers took turns at 15 minutes drive each.
This is because pressure on a human body at 30m deep for more than 15 minutes could turn fatal. Also, there is a matter of oxygen as well. Large M/T tyres were filled with water instead of air, for stability and to better stick with ocean floor. A zone where MudCrab struggled slightly on loose mud and precipitated silt.
Every time the car got stuck, divers used balloons to lift it slightly off the mud to gain traction again. This caused a massive delay of five hours. Having expected to finish the record by 4 PM, they persevered until 9 PM. Other major delays were crossing over a gas pipeline and frequent driver/diver swaps needed to finish this task. Despite innumerous risks associated with a dangerous mission like this, it was a success.
