Man charged after driving Cybertruck into lake to test ‘Wade Mode’

A Tesla Cybertruck got stuck in the water when its driver intentionally drove into a Texas lake to test the vehicle's "Wade Mode." Photo by Grapevine Police Department

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A Texas man learned the hard way this week that a Tesla Cybertruck is not a boat, but you can still be charged with boating-related offences for driving it in the water.

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In posts to its various social media channels this week, the Grapevine Police Department said officers were called to a boat ramp on Grapevine Lake, a reservoir in the North Texas city, where they found one of the angular electric vehicles in the water, not far from the shoreline.

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The driver allegedly told police he “intentionally” drove into the water to test the vehicle’s “Wade Mode.”

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“The vehicle became disabled and took on water,” police wrote. “The driver and passengers abandoned the vehicle and the Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team assisted in removing it from the lake.”

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The driver told a Dallas-Fort Worth NBC affiliate that he had successfully navigated water in the Cybertruck several times before, including the Atlantic Ocean.

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Regardless, the man was arrested and charged with operation of a vehicle in a closed section of the lake, and, according to CNN, not having a valid boat registration and other water safety equipment violations.

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“We want to remind drivers that although a vehicle may be physically capable of entering shallow freshwater areas, doing so can create legal and safety concerns under Texas law,” police wrote.

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Spokesperson Katharina Gamboa told CBS that driving along the popular lake is prohibited to protect the safety of lake goers, beach users and children who play along its shoreline.

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“It’s a safety concern, but it’s also a legal concern as well,” she said.

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The Wade Mode setting allows the Cybertruck “to enter and drive through bodies of water, such as rivers or creeks” to a maximum depth of 81.5 centimetres (32 inches), about the height of a tire, according to Tesla’s online owner’s manual.

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“Do not drive in deep, fast-flowing bodies of water (such as strong currents or rapids),” it warns. “Doing so can result in damage, serious injury, or death.”

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When enabled, the vehicle’s ride height maxes out and the high-voltage battery automatically pressurizes to protect from water and debris.

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Tesla advises drivers to check underwater conditions before driving in and warns that the truck could sink in “soft or muddy underwater surfaces.” Mud can also adhere to the radiator, reducing the effectiveness of the cooling system.

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“It is your responsibility to gauge the depth of any body of water before entering,” Tesla cautions, noting that “damage or water ingress … is not covered by the warranty.”

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In September 2022, about 14 months before the first North American-made trucks rolled off a Texas assembly line and were delivered to the first customers, Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk shared loftier aquatic aptitude aspirations for his product.

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“Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes & even seas that aren’t too choppy,” he wrote on what was still Twitter at the time.

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“Needs be able to get from Starbase to South Padre Island, which requires crossing the channel.”