Man arrested after driving Tesla Cybertruck into Texas lake to test wade mode

A man has been arrested in Texas after he drove his Tesla Cybertruck into a lake to test the vehicle's wade mode feature.

Grapevine police officers responded to Grapevine Lake in north Texas on Monday after the driver and passengers abandoned the vehicle when it took on water and became stuck.

Wade mode allows a Cybertruck to enter and drive through bodies of water such as rivers or creeks at a maximum depth of 81.5 cm, according to Tesla's online manual.

The driver was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle in a closed section of the lake and for other water safety equipment violations, police said.

The partially submerged vehicle was removed from near the shoreline on the south side of the lake. The Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team assisted police in the recovery.

According to the police statement, the driver said he intentionally drove into the lake to use the Cybertruck's wade mode feature, after which the vehicle became disabled and took on water.

Police added that although a vehicle may be physically capable of entering shallow freshwater areas, doing so can create legal and safety concerns under Texas law.

"We wouldn't encourage willingly driving your vehicle into the water," said Katharina Gamboa of the Grapevine Police Department. "You know, not only that, it's a safety concern, but it's also a legal concern as well."

The Tesla Cybertruck is an electric pickup truck made of stainless steel and sells for upwards of $70,000. It was launched in 2019 and rolled out to the public in 2023.

Tesla states in its owner's manual that it is the driver's responsibility to gauge the depth of any body of water before entering, adding that damage or water ingress to the Cybertruck as a result of driving in water is not covered by the warranty. The maximum wade depth of approximately 32 inches is measured from the bottom of the tire. Where water becomes too deep, the manual advises drivers to return to more shallow water or dry land.