A Brazilian Lawmaker Wants To Mandate Amphibious Cars And Yes, You Read That Correctly

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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