A Texas driver faced arrest after intentionally steering his Tesla Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake to utilize the vehicle’s ‘wade mode’ feature, authorities reported. The incident occurred on Monday when officers from the Grapevine Police Department responded to reports of a submerged vehicle near the lake’s southern shore. The driver and passengers abandoned the truck after it became disabled and filled with water, leading to its recovery with assistance from the Grapevine Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team.

According to police, the driver admitted to deliberately entering the lake to test the Cybertruck’s capability to navigate shallow waters, as outlined in Tesla’s manual. The feature allows the vehicle to operate in bodies of water up to 81.5 cm deep, but the driver’s actions raised safety and legal concerns. Texas law prohibits operating vehicles in restricted water areas, and officials emphasized that while the Cybertruck is engineered for such conditions, intentional immersion poses risks of damage and non-compliance with regulations.

Tesla’s documentation explicitly states that drivers must assess water depth before submerging the vehicle, with the manual warning against use in fast-moving or deep waters. The company also clarifies that any water-related damage voids the warranty. The Cybertruck, constructed from high-strength stainless steel, was priced at over $70,000 upon its 2023 public release. Police highlighted that even if a vehicle is physically capable of navigating shallow water, legal penalties and safety hazards remain significant.

The arrest underscores growing scrutiny around consumer behavior with advanced vehicle features. While Tesla markets the Cybertruck’s durability, authorities advise against testing its limits in uncontrolled environments. The incident serves as a reminder of the balance between technological innovation and responsible usage, particularly when features like ‘wade mode’ are misapplied in public or protected areas.