What is Cybertruck's wade mode? Video showing Tesla vehicle floating on Lake Grapevine in Texas goes viral 

Tesla's Cybertruck is making headlines once again for its ability to traverse water. On April 1, 2025, a video posted by @SawyerMerritt on X went viral. The clip shows Tesla's vehicle surfing on Lake Grapevine in Texas, highlighting the vehicle's wade mode.

According to Business Insider, the Cybertruck's Wade Mode is designed to enhance its water-fording capability, allowing it to navigate through water up to 32.5 inches (2.7 feet) deep.

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Cybertruck's Wade mode explained as Tesla floats on Lake Grapevine

The Cybertruck's Wade Mode is a unique feature that allows the Tesla to navigate deeper water. This feature enables the vehicle to lift its suspension to the maximum height and employ the air compressor to seal and protect the 123 kWh battery.

The battery pack is sealed under pressure to keep water out, safeguarding the vehicle's electrical system and ensuring optimal performance. Additionally, whenever the driver initiates this feature, Tesla presents an intrusion dialogue menu, informing them that the feature will activate in ten minutes and automatically deactivate after 30 minutes. The instruction states —

"Raises ride height and pressurizes battery when driving through water. Water levels should not exceed the top of the bumper... Proceed at your own risk. May take up to 10 minutes to activate and has a time limit of 30 minutes, at which point it will automatically deactivate."

According to Not A Tesla App, Lars Moravy, the Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla, commented on the Cybertruck's Wade mode, suggesting that they have developed new technology for Wade mode, which they also refer to as "scuba pack."

Furthermore, the Vice President said that "positive pressure" is applied to keep the battery and vehicle safe from the water —

"We have new technology. We call it the scuba pack. We took the air suspension system to actually pressurize the battery. You know water and batteries don't really get along. That happens with the push of a button, forcing air into the pack. It is a sealed pack to keep the water out. It is just some positive pressure to keep any of those leak points or flood points," Lars Moravy said.

@SawyerMerritt's post on X features a 43-second clip that begins with the Tesla floating into the lake, captured from a distance. The vehicle stays afloat for several seconds before returning to solid ground.

In the post, the user claimed that the Tesla could submerge up to 31 inches; however, they noted that the water in the video seemed significantly deeper —

"Someone took their Cybertruck into Lake Grapevine in Texas. The Cybertruck can drive in water up to 31 inches deep using Wade Mode, which uses a technology Tesla calls the scuba pack, where it uses the truck's built in air suspension to pressurize the battery. However, this video looks deeper than 31" lol," the user wrote.

As of now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not publicly commented on the viral video. Additionally, it is unclear to whom the Tesla belonged.