By now, you’re probably sick of hearing about electric vehicle mandates from governments across the globe, be it California’s state legislature or British parliament. So, let’s forget about electric vehicle mandates, and let’s talk about the wild, outlandish possibility of amphibious vehicle mandates. Yep, swimming cars.
This might seem at first like a comically insane strawman argument, but there’s a real news story here. A Brazilian politician has launched a draft bill calling for an amphibious vehicle mandate, and the main argument actually seems to be public safety in emergencies.
This draft bill was introduced by Clodoaldo Magalhães, a representative in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies who’s part of Brazil’s Green Party, and it wants everyone manufacturing cars in Brazil to be legally required to offer amphibious cars. It sounds insane, but the draft bill cites climate change as a big inspiration.
This proposal aims to meet emergency needs arising from extreme weather events, such as floods, which have become increasingly frequent and impactful in several states in Brazil. We would like to highlight, in particular, the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which recently faced a public calamity situation due to heavy rains, resulting in more than 100 fatalities, more than 200,000 homeless people and affecting more than 400 municipalities.
Amphibious vehicles represent an effective tool for dealing with these situations, allowing safe and efficient movement both on land and in water, facilitating rescue, evacuation and assistance operations for victims of these natural disasters.
You know, if cars in flood zones could float atop the floodwater and take owners to safety, that could be a pretty big thing. We at The Autopian are huge fans of amphibious cars, partly because they’re just flat-out cool, and partly because in an emergency situation, a slow boat is pretty okay, so long as it’s a pretty good car the rest of the time.
However, this draft bill goes a bit further than simply wanting to set a target. If it passes, it also wants to hold automakers accountable for failing to offer amphibious cars in Brazil. As per the text:
Failure to comply with the provisions of this law will result in offending assemblers and manufacturers being subject to the sanctions provided for in the relevant legislation, including fines and other applicable penalties.
We’re talking about brands like Volkswagen, Ford, BMW, Honda, Nissan, Renault, Stellantis, Toyota, Suzuki, and more. What would an amphibious 3 Series look like, or an amphibious Yaris? This concept’s just given our rogue designer (not to be confused with a Nissan Rogue designer) The Bishop so much ammunition, he’s now a NATO member.
Anyway, it’s unlikely that this draft bill will pass, but you never know. The Green Party is part of the current ruling coalition, and in a world gone insane, an amphibious car mandate isn’t even the most outlandish political news I’ve read today, so never count anything out. There’s a non-zero chance this bold statement could go all the way, and we’d be here for it. Bring on the amphibious cars. We’re ready for them, and there’s a chance the Polish firm that bought Dutton Amphibious Cars is too.
Photo credits: Gibbs Aquatics, Dutton Amphibious Cars, The Bishop
Top graphic Aquaman and Storm: Superfriends/Hanna-Barbera
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“not to be confused with a Nissan Rogue designer.” Wait, the Nissan Rogue was designed? By a person?
I sure hope they give Nissan a pass: I don’t want to be taken out by Big Floatima Energy while I’m hanging out on a river bank
People usually don’t remember they vote for house representatives. That’s why this kind of thing happen.
But let’s see the bright side of this idea: my licence will allow me to “drive” boats! At least the bill doesn’t say otherwise. So, if I can drive any car (given my license type), by extension any amphibious car, by extension any boats. Otherwise, this is useless.
Damn, if I was licensed to drive big rigs and buses probably that I would also allow me to pilot tankers, containers and cruise ships. See, new employment opportunities for the people!
I don’t know people only see the down side of the things.
200,000 Homeless? Are they supposed to live in floating cars?
Driving a normal car in to rapid moving flood water is dumb enough, a floating one where people think they can do it safely is dumber still.
That said, hell yeah, boat cars!
Brazil isn’t exactly known for common sense regulations.
We should ship Pierre Poilievre and his “common sense revolution” down there… LOL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Poilievre
I’m not sure an amphibious car is going to do much better than a regular car in a turbulent flash flood.
Sweet – I want to order a brand new VW do Brasil Paratí 2-door wagon-boat!
Based on my admittedly limited experience there, they’ll somehow work a loophole into this that ends up being if the car can float for 30 seconds, it will qualify as a boat. Then, once all of the automakers have designed the requisite work-arounds, and people start buying them, there will be a new requirement that anyone owning them needs to purchase a boat-operators license in order to drive them.
You’ll have to apply for this at a State Finance Secretariat’s office, pay for it at the post office with a special money-order only obtainable at a bank after 3:00 (post office closes at 3:10), and pick it up at a special-use administration building in Brasilia, but only if you live in Rio Grande Do Sul. Everyone else will need to get theirs at the municipal office in the back of a bus station in Uberlandia.
Or, náo tem problema – pay a “jeitinho” specialist R$150, go have a couple of caipirinhas and enjoy your evening churrasco.
Of course once the float-car safety regs make it to the US, the special operator’s requirement won’t be there. Everyone will just find out the required “boat insurance” adds $6,000 dollars to their yearly policy.
Wouldn’t it easier, faster, safer, more economical to just require homeowners and rental properties to fasten lifeboats on the roof of their buildings? Do I need to solve this for them?
I can’t wait for the disaster movie where people die and a few are saved because the scum landlords refused to provide enough lifeboats for their condominium renters.
Let’s suggest some movie titles for this action flick.
Katrina Brazil!
I live in a region that is largely reclaimed bog and former sea floor. My house can’t be more than 5 meters above sea level. For centuries people around here have been aware that they’d be in for a really, really bad time if the dike broke and some old farmhouses around here have what is locally called a “floating roof” – the wooden roof structure is only loosely sitting on top of the rest of the house, held on by its own weight, so that in case of catastrophic flooding one could presumably get into the rafters/attic space and float to safety in this hopefully floating “life raft”
Not sure that would work in the sort of weather that is likely to be going on in case of dike failure, but I guess it’s better than nothing.
Floodwaters suck to run most boats in. Tons of debris under the water, tons of debris floating in the water that can do any number of things to disable your engine if the prop is below the waterline.
Not to mention in the advent of a flash flood you’d have a ton of people in cars who have possibly never sailed a boat, let alone sailed their automobile, who suddenly are going wherever the water takes them, with their amphibious cars becoming battering rams for the flash flood, likely with their occupants still inside.
Let me just say, I hate that you’re completely right.
I just flashed back to the Banana Splits and their AmphiCats.
A Brazilian politician has launched a
draftdaft bill calling for an amphibious vehicle mandateFixed
As long as one of the manufacturers offers a model called the Kermit and it is only available in “It’s not easy being green”.
Living in Houston I could also use an amphibious vehicle from time to time.
So now instead of a bunch of flooded out cars in a parking lot, there will be a bunch of unattended amphibious cars floating down river.
Brazil will need a lot of horse(amphibious car) hitching posts installed on the streets.
Just read the title but dang I didn’t think we had that many lawmakers, how many is a Brazillion? (I’ll show myself out)
How on earth did you find this? Doing a search for more info only finds this article.
lol. you wut m8?
Volksschwimmwagen
That Aquada looks like a lot of fun, but I have to wonder…
This morning I went to back out of the garage and there was an audible pop and shudder as the brakes became unstuck after driving in the rain last week. I have to believe driving in water, possibly salt water, would be much worse.
I would not mind an amphibious Jeep or Toyota Land Cruiser (not the ww2 seep).
The headlights on the car in the topshot image are ripped right off an NB Miata.
and I think I’m seeing Ford Fiesta lights on the second one
Oh wow you’re so right!
The interior of the Dutton is all Ford Fiesta, Seats, dash Center console,pedals Gear lever, the lot. Even the door cards. The boaty bits are just sort of fitted in any available gaps.
I love identifying shared lights on RVs when I’m on a long drive