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What's the safest way to drive a hybrid in floods?
The accepted advice is that driving through floods should be avoided. If it is felt necessary then a low gear should be selected, slip the clutch and keep revs up to avoid water being taken into the exhaust. With an automatic, a low gear should be selected and revs maintained. I now have a 2024 Nissan Qashqai E power where the engine operates independently to charge the battery and the revs cannot be controlled. What should I do if I find myself having to negotiate a flooded area?
Asked on 6 November 2024 by
Answered by
David Ross
Driving through floods should be avoided wherever possible, but if it is essential to do so then maintaining the correct speed is more important than engine revs. Ideally you should enter the water slowly in order to create a bow wave which you then drive behind in order to minimise the height of the water at the bonnet. The greatest risk when fording is water entering the engine through the air intake, so this approach will minimise this risk.
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