Cybertruck goes for a swim: Tesla driver tests Wade Mode, vehicle recovered from lake

Elon Musk’s Cybertruck continues to make headlines – this time, however, not because of poor sales figures, but because of a rather unusual incident. In Texas, a man drove a Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake to test its “Wade Mode.” However, he had apparently misjudged the depth of the water. The electric pickup filled with water, became immobile and had to be recovered by emergency responders, as the Grapevine Police Department explained in a recent Facebook post. There were reportedly other occupants in the vehicle, but everyone involved escaped unharmed.

The so-called “Wade Mode” is a special Cybertruck function that, according to Tesla, is designed to allow the vehicle to drive slowly through shallow water with its suspension raised. The maximum wading depth is specified as approximately 32 inches. Based on the available images, it appears that the driver did not drive deep into the lake, but instead attempted to drive along the shoreline. However, the Cybertruck’s maximum wading depth was apparently exceeded on one side. The driver suspects that water entered the charging port, causing the steering to fail. The technical details, however, have not been officially confirmed.

On social media, many users are shaking their heads at the driver’s behavior. After the vehicle was recovered, police reportedly arrested the driver, who is now facing charges for operating a vehicle in a restricted park or lake area, as well as several violations of water safety equipment regulations. At the same time, many commenters on Facebook and Reddit are also criticizing the Cybertruck itself, arguing that Wade Mode is little more than a marketing feature with limited real-world use.