A Texas man was arrested after police said he intentionally drove his Tesla Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake to test the vehicle's Wade Mode feature, then abandoned it when it took on water and became stuck. Grapevine police said officers were called Monday to recover the partially submerged truck from near the shoreline on the south side of the lake.
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 Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team assisted in pulling the vehicle out of the water.
Police said the driver told them he had entered the lake on purpose to use the Cybertruck's Wade Mode. Tesla's online manual says the feature allows the truck to enter and drive through bodies of water such as rivers or creeks, with a maximum depth of 81.5 cm, or about 32 inches, measured from the bottom of the tire. Tesla also says drivers are responsible for judging water depth before entering and warns against deep, fast-flowing water such as strong currents or rapids.
The incident put a spotlight on a feature that Tesla says is meant for limited water crossings, not a shortcut into open water. The company says damage or water ingress caused by driving through water is not covered by warranty, a warning that makes the stakes of any misjudged crossing immediate for owners of a vehicle that sells for upwards of $70,000.
Cybertruck was launched in 2019 and rolled out to the public in 2023, but the truck's unusual capabilities have continued to invite close attention well beyond the car market. In this case, police said the vehicle became disabled after entering Grapevine Lake, turning a headline feature into a recovery job for firefighters and officers.
Even if a vehicle can physically enter shallow freshwater, police said, doing so can create legal and safety problems under Texas law. Monday's arrest shows how quickly a demonstration of a built-in feature can become a criminal case when it ends with a closed lake section, a stuck vehicle and a rescue team in the water.
