YouTuber Puts Tesla Cybertruck’s Wade Mode To The Test, Damage Ensues

The Tesla Cybetruck has a bunch of interesting systems and features that are designed to make driving as easy as possible, at least compared to old-school pickup trucks.

One of these features is called Wade Mode, which makes water wading as simple as possible. Flick a switch on the car’s infotainment and the EV automatically raises the air suspension to its highest level and then uses air from the suspension compressor to pressurize the high-voltage battery pack so that water has no way of getting in.

Wade Mode disengages automatically after 30 minutes, but we can’t think of a situation where you’d want to spend more than that driving through water. When it is active, Tesla says the Cybertruck can drive through water that’s up to 31 inches deep.

And what better way to test the electric pickup’s water-fording capabilities than to go through a flooded street? That’s exactly what YouTuber TechRax did with a Foundation Series Cybertruck, as you can see in the video embedded below.

Right off the bat, off-roading enthusiasts will probably say that gunning it when approaching the water isn’t the correct way to tackle a situation like this–a constant, low speed is preferred and it’s important to maintain a bow wave–but even so, the car seemed to handle the flooded roads with ease.

However, when everything was said and done, the front-left plastic wheel arch detached from some of its retaining points and the trailer hitch cover also popped out of place. Moreover, a few hours after doing the water driving experiment, the buttons that open and close the tailgate and tonneau cover were unresponsive (using the smartphone app still worked, though). There was also some “water swishing around,” as the YouTuber said.

Go ahead and watch the video and let us know what you think in the comments below.