Driver intentionally drove Cybertruck into lake to use vehicle’s ‘Wade Mode,’ police say
The driver said he entered the lake to test the Cybertruck’s Wade Mode, and police said the vehicle became disabled and took on water.
- On Monday evening, Jimmy Jack McDaniel intentionally drove a Tesla Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake to test the vehicle's "Wade Mode" feature, resulting in his arrest after the truck became disabled near Katie's Woods Park boat ramp.
- Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, claimed the Cybertruck would be "waterproof enough" to serve as a boat, yet the company's manual limits Wade Mode to a maximum depth of about 32 inches, fostering owner overconfidence.
- Police charged McDaniel with operating a vehicle in a closed park section and lacking valid boat registration. Grapevine Police warned: "although a vehicle may be physically capable of entering shallow freshwater areas, doing so can create legal and safety concerns under Texas law."
- As of Tuesday, McDaniel remains in the Grapevine Jail. This incident follows previous Wade Mode mishaps in Truckee, California, and Ventura harbor, where owners' tests resulted in costly rescues.
- Tesla's manual explicitly warns that water damage is not covered under warranty and owners must "gauge the depth of any body of water before entering," as Wade Mode is designed for shallow creek crossings, not deep lake immersion.
61 Articles
61 Articles
Texas cops fish sunken Cybertruck from lake, arrest driver, Elon Musk's aquatic promises apparently overstated
Elon Musk was quite specific. In 2022, he told potential Cybertruck buyers that his monstrous angular vehicle “will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes, and even seas that aren’t too choppy.” That promise would, like so many Musk promises, go unfulfilled. In its place is “Wade Mode”, which raises the suspension and pressurizes the battery to prevent water ingress. Tesla’s official documentation underlin…
Driver Faces Criminal Charges for ‘Intentionally’ Driving Cybertruck into Texas Lake to Test ‘Wade Mode’ Feature: Police
The driver was arrested on charges of operation of a vehicle in a closed section of a park/lake and water safety equipment violationsCybertruck in Texas' Grapevine Lake on Monday, May 18Credit: Grapevine Police Department/FacebookNEED TO KNOWA man in Texas "intentionally" drove his Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake to test the vehicle's “Wade Mode” feature, according to the Grapevine Police DepartmentWade Mode allows Cybetrucks to enter and drive t…
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