Man arrested after driving Cybertruck into US lake to test feature

A man was arrested in Texas after police confirmed he drove his Tesla Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake on Monday evening to test the vehicle’s ‘wade mode’ feature. Footage showed the truck, valued at over $60,000, becoming stuck as it took on water near Katie’s Woods Park Boat Ramp. The driver and passenger escaped through a passenger-side window before reaching shore, but the truck required assistance from the Grapevine Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team to be removed. Tesla’s manual specifies ‘wade mode’ is limited to water depths of no more than 81.5 cm and excludes warranty coverage for damage from water ingress. The Grapevine Police Department stated the driver admitted intentionally entering the lake to use the feature, though Texas law prohibits such operations in closed water sections. The incident prompted a warning from authorities about legal and safety risks despite the vehicle’s technical capabilities. Police were called to the scene around 8 p.m. after the truck became disabled near the shoreline. The driver faces charges for operating in a restricted area and water safety violations. The incident highlights potential misunderstandings of Tesla’s guidelines, which explicitly state users must assess water depth independently before attempting to drive through it.