Jimmy Jack McDaniel drove his Tesla $TSLA +1.11% Cybertruck into a Texas lake to test the vehicle's "Wade Mode" feature, and was arrested after the truck became disabled and took on water, police said.
Around 8 p.m. Monday, the Grapevine Police Department said its officers arrived at Katie's Woods Park boat ramp on Grapevine Lake to find the electric pickup sitting in the water close to shore. McDaniel told authorities he had driven the vehicle into the lake to activate Wade Mode, according to CBS News. After the occupants got out of the stricken truck, crews from the Grapevine Fire Department's Water Rescue Team were called in to pull it free.
Police said McDaniel faces charges that include taking a motor vehicle into a restricted section of the park and lake, carrying no valid boat registration, and a string of water safety equipment violations. According to Electrek, McDaniel remained in jail as of Tuesday.
Tesla's Cybertruck owner's manual describes Wade Mode as a feature that "allows Cybertruck to enter and drive through bodies of water, such as rivers or creeks." Topping out at roughly 32 inches from the bottom of the tire, the listed depth limit comes alongside a requirement that owners assess how deep any water is before driving into it. Tesla's documentation further notes that a squishy or muddy lakebed can pull the truck deeper into the water, and that any water-related damage falls outside warranty coverage.
