Embarrassing moment Elon Musk's Tesla cybertruck tries new 'wade mode' in lake
A driver, or possibly a diver, has been arrested after testing out the 'Wade Mode' on his Tesla Cybertruck as it ended up in a lake.
Grapevine Lake in Texas doesn't typically have a Cybertruck stuck in the water but on Monday (18 May) the Grapevine Police Department were called to fish one out.
The cops explained they'd had to go and rescue the 'stranded' vehicle which was out in the waters of Grapevine Lake, with the Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team helping them remove the offending Cybertruck.
They said: "The driver drove into the lake to use the 'Wade Mode' feature when the vehicle became disabled. The passengers abandoned the vehicle and the driver was arrested."
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In Tesla's defence their guidance for the Cybertruck's 'Wade Mode' says the maximum depth is 32 inches measured from the bottom of the tyre, and when in deep water the driver should get back to dry land or a shallower depth.
The electric car company says it's the driver's responsibility 'to gauge the depth of any body of water before entering' and the warranty doesn't cover damage caused by driving it into water.
According to the Metro, Jimmy Jack McDaniel allegedly drove down a boat ramp into the lake and the Cybertruck failed before it became submerged in the lake.
They report he told police he intentionally drove the car into the lake to test the 'Wade Mode', and has been charged with operating a vehicle in a closed section of a park or lake, having no valid boat registration and several water safety equipment violations.
As you might have guessed, as well as a Tesla's 'Wade Mode' not being intended for driving into a lake it's also not something the law looks particularly kindly on.
What 'Wade Mode' actually does is make the car ride as high as possible to keep the bulk of the bulky vehicle out of shallow water the driver might want to cross, it's really not for lakes.
Provided you don't stick it in a lake and require the local emergency services to come and fish you out, the Cybertruck is supposed to give a driver 500 miles of range on a single charge.
It's supposed to be able to handle the impact of bullets and some pretty deadly weapons, which rather begs the question of where you're supposed to be driving it if that's a necessary feature.
Safety concerns have been raised over the Cybertruck, both over the possible dangers to those inside it and the risk it poses to people who would be unlucky enough to be on the receiving end.
Remember kids, don't drive your car into a lake.
We really shouldn't have to tell you this, but it's happened.
Joe Harker