Scientific analysis exposes major flaws of Trump’s 'unlikely' electric boat/shark saga

26 July 2024

On the campaign trail, 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has been repeating a fictional scenario involving a sinking electric boat, possible death by electrocution, and a shark attack. The Washington Post's Ashley Parker, in an article published on July 26, lays out some of the major flaws in Trump's "unlikely narrative."

"Trump's recounting of the saga goes roughly like this: In September, a South Carolina boat manufacturer warned him about the scourge of electric boats — arguing that the battery is so large that it leaves little room for passengers and, worse, the battery is so heavy that the boat might not even float," Parker explains. "It was then that Trump claims he posed the 'very smart' question the manufacturer said he had never before been asked: If the boat sinks under the weight of its own battery, couldn't the boaters be electrocuted?"

Parker adds, "And worse, if they jumped off the boat to avoid electrocution, might they then be devoured by a shark?"

During an Iowa rally, Trump outlined that scenario and concluded, "You know what I'm going to take? Electrocution. I will take electrocution every single time."

Parker notes that Trump's scenario "has all the hallmarks of a classic Trumpian yarn — full of fabrication, riddled with illogic, defying the laws of physics and, by turns, rambling and hyperbolic, humorous and head-scratching."

According to University of Michigan research scientist Jason Siegel, Trump's scenario is problematic for different reasons.

Siegel told the Post that EV lithium-based batteries "are inherently more dangerous than a 12-volt lead acid battery you'd typically find on a boat."

Siegel also pointed out that the battery of a properly designed electric boat is unlikely to cause it to sink.

The University of Michigan scientist told the Post, "We have cargo ships that carry thousands of tons of cargo. So based on Archimedes principle, you just have to displace as much water as the weight of the battery pack."

Read the Washington Post's full report at this link (subscription required).

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