INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MEMORANDUM TO: Product Marketing, Customer Safety Liaison, Legal Affairs FROM: Tesla Communications Division DATE: May 20, 2026 RE: Clarification of Wade Mode Intended Use Cases

Following an incident at Grapevine Lake in north Texas on May 19, 2026, we have identified a significant gap between the marketed functionality of Wade Mode and customer interpretation of its operational parameters.

A 34-year-old male operator, hereafter referred to as the Subject, reportedly drove his Cybertruck directly into the lake at approximately 2:47 PM local time, claiming that the vehicle’s Wade Mode feature was explicitly designed for aquatic recreation. The Subject abandoned the vehicle after it accumulated water damage consistent with full submersion. Authorities recovered the vehicle in a non-operational state.

We have reviewed the product documentation, marketing collateral, and in-vehicle UI language associated with Wade Mode. The feature is designed to optimize vehicle performance when traversing shallow water crossings—specifically, shallow water crossings encountered during normal terrestrial navigation. The documentation does not, and has never, suggested that Wade Mode enables the vehicle to function as a recreational watercraft.

However, we acknowledge the following communication failures:

  1. The term “Wade Mode” uses the word “wade,” which, in common English usage, refers to walking through water. This terminology may have created a misleading impression that the feature facilitates water-based activities beyond shallow creek crossings.

  2. Marketing materials released between January 2025 and March 2026 featured imagery of the Cybertruck in water environments. While these images were intended to demonstrate capability, they were photographed at angles and in lighting conditions that may have suggested recreational intent rather than emergency water-crossing functionality.

  3. The in-vehicle interface displays Wade Mode as a selectable driving mode alongside options such as Off-Road and Chill Mode. The visual hierarchy and accessibility of the feature may have implied broader applicability than originally intended.

The Subject’s interpretation—that Wade Mode was engineered for aquatic adventure, mud wrestling, or general water recreation—represents a failure of our communication strategy rather than a failure of the product itself. The vehicle performed exactly as designed: it took on water when submerged, because it is not a boat.

We are implementing the following corrective measures:

Product Documentation: Wade Mode will be renamed to “Shallow Water Crossing Assist” effective immediately across all platforms. In-vehicle terminology will be updated via OTA distribution within 72 hours.

Marketing Collateral: All imagery depicting the Cybertruck in water environments will be removed from circulation and archived. Future marketing materials will feature the vehicle in water crossings no deeper than 12 inches, photographed at ground level to minimize visual ambiguity.

UI/UX Revision: The Wade Mode selection interface will include a modal disclaimer stating: “This feature is for shallow water crossings only. This vehicle is not a watercraft. Do not enter deep water.”

Customer Communications: A proactive email campaign will be distributed to all Cybertruck owners clarifying the intended use case. The subject line will read: “Important: Your Cybertruck is Not Amphibious.”

Legal Affairs has confirmed that the Subject’s insurance claim will be denied on the basis that submersion was not an authorized use case. No settlement discussions are anticipated.

We view this incident as an isolated interpretation error rather than evidence of a systemic design flaw. However, we recognize that the gap between marketing language and customer expectation created conditions for misuse. This represents an opportunity to refine our communication strategy and ensure that feature naming conventions more accurately reflect operational boundaries.

The Subject has been cited by Grapevine Police Department. His vehicle remains in recovery operations.

We appreciate your attention to this matter and your continued commitment to customer safety through clear, unambiguous communication.

Regards, Tesla Communications Division