They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes their unwaivering belief in Elon Musk’s lies.
A Texas man was arrested after driving his Tesla Cybertruck into a lake to test its “Wade Mode” feature. As expected, the truck shut down and started filling up with water. Officers eventually responded after receiving reports of a partially submerged Cybertruck that had been intentionally driven into the lake.
The driver (and passengers he subjected his delusions to) escaped, but the Grapevine FIre Department Water Rescue Team had to remove the truck from the lake. The driver was arrested, charged with operation of a vehicle in a closed section of a park or lake and other water safety equipment violations.
“We want to remind drivers that although a vehicle may be physically capable of entering shallow freshwater areas, doing so can create legal and safety concerns under Texas law,” the Grapevine Police Department said in a Facebook post.
The thing is, the Cybertruck isn’t capable.
Cybertruck: Barely built for Earth
The Cybertruck has been touted as an off-roading machine since its 2023 launch, with Elon Musk saying it could survive an apocalypse. The tagline is “built for any planet.” Yet it doesn’t even seem prepared for Earth.
The Cybertruck has a few off-roading features, like adaptive air suspension, but it’s a very heavy, angular, electric vehicle at the end of the day. It’s not going to do anything spectacular. Which is fine, except that Musk has been exaggerating about its capabilities for years now. When a company’s owner keeps making bold claims about their vehicles, it’s a problem, especially when it’s someone with a social following like Musk. His fans will defend him no matter what, even as they’re drowning in a lake. Even if Musk himself says that it was all a lie and just “freedom of speech.”
As a result of Musk’s ongoing made-up claims about the Cybertruck, the poor, humiliated, hideous thing has been stuck in all kinds of situations. It can’t handle a few inches of snow, has repeatedly gotten stuck in sand over the last few weeks, and has drowned in water a few times. Despite ongoing video evidence of the vehicle’s shortcomings, Cybertruck owners keep trying.
The latest one was the man in Texas, drowning in a lake.
What is “Wade Mode” supposed to do?
The Texas man claimed he was testing his idiotic vehicle’s “Wade Mode.” This is one of many off-road modes available on the Cybertruck, and you should use them at your own risk. Wade Mode is described as allowing the Cybertruck “to enter and drive through bodies of water, such as rivers or creeks.”
With Wade Mode, the vehicle’s ride height is set to “Very High” to protect it in up to 32 inches of water and the battery is “automatically pressurized” to protect it from water and debris. But it comes with two warnings:
- It is your responsibility to gauge the depth of any body of water before entering. Damage or water ingress to Cybertruck as a result of driving in water is not covered by the warranty
-
Always inspect underwater conditions (such as debris, etc.) before entering and use your best judgment. Take care to drive slowly and safely. If the water is too deep, return to shallower water or dry land
Yeah, you read that right. If you damage your Cybertruck while it’s in water, it’s not covered by any warranty. That seems mighty suspicious for a brand that has been explaining how capable the truck is in the water, even encouraging it. Musk had told his deluded followers that it would “float like a boat” for a short while, despite weighing nearly 7,000 pounds.
I’m not sure how deep the lake the Texas man drove through was, but it was said to be shallow. The issue was that his Cybertruck just stopped working and shut off. So much for the battery being protected. We don’t know exactly what went wrong, but we know it didn’t go right…
I feel it wouldn’t really be news that a massive vehicle sank in water if Musk hadn’t repeatedly lied about it… But since he keeps making up stuff, there are multiple instances of the Cybertruck sinking in water. This is not the first time. Let’s just make it clear once and for all: Wade Mode does not actually make the Cybertruck waterproof, nor does it allow it to float.
