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A Tesla Cybertruck had to be rescued from a river after its owner appeared to believe Elon Musk’s claim that the electric truck could “serve briefly as a boat”.
The Tesla boss first made the amphibious claim in 2020, before repeating it in 2022 ahead of the launch of the production version of the Cybertruck.
“Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes and even seas that aren’t too choppy,” he wrote on Twitter.
The $100,000 truck comes with a ‘Wade Mode’ that increases the ride height and protects the battery from water, however it is only accessible through the off-road mode – which is not protected by Tesla’s warranty.
California Highway Patrol said the Cybertruck was in this mode when it became stranded in the Truckee river.
“Cybertruck activated ‘Wade Mode’ and waded a bit too far,” California Highway Patrol wrote in a widely-shared post to Facebook, which included images of the Cybertruck.
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“We’re all for testing boundaries, but maybe not the waterline,” the post continued. “Remember folks, ‘Wade Mode’ isn’t ‘Submarine Mode’. If your plans include exploring the great outdoors, make sure to know your limits and the terrain.”
There was no further information about damage to the vehicle, and the driver was not reachable at the time of writing. The Independent has reached out to Tesla for comment.
It is not the first time a Cybertruck has got into difficulties around water, with one TikTok user sharing a video of his vehicle breaking down after going through a car wash.
Tesla includes several warnings in the Cybertruck’s owner manual about the risks involved in washing the vehicle.
It includes a caution to not wash it in direct sunlight, as well as advice on how to prevent damage when going through a car wash.
”Failure to put Cybertruck in Car Wash Mode may result in damage (for example, to the charge port or windshield wipers),” the manual states. “Damage caused by car washes is not covered by the warranty.”
Both incidents were shared on the popular ‘CyberStuck’ Reddit forum, which has grown to over 300,000 members in less than two years.
Two of the top three posts on the sub-Reddit on Monday appeared to show Cybertrucks stranded beside water.
