Tesla Emergency Drive Away Lets You Rip Charger From Port

Tesla has released a new safety feature called Emergency Drive Away after a shooting at a Supercharger station in Twin Falls, Idaho, left three Tesla occupants among the victims, Car and Driver reports.

Normally, Teslas are locked in park at charging stations until the driver manually unplugs the cord. The only workaround before was a third-party adapter that Tesla warned could overheat and damage the car and charger. Owners recommended the adapter in online forums after the shooting anyway.

Now, an over-the-air update provides a native way to override the lock. When the car is in drive and still connected, a warning screen appears. The driver holds the brake pedal and taps “Activate” to enable Emergency Drive Away.

A video from the Tesla Charging account on X shows the charger snapping free and pieces flying. Car and Driver reports Tesla says the move damages the vehicle and the charging station, and intentional misuse will bring “additional penalties.” The Tesla Charging account replied to an X comment saying repair costs could reach $25,000, depending on the Supercharger.

The update requires the latest software and does not support pre-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles. Tesla says it works on U.S. Superchargers only for now, though it may expand later.

• Emergency Drive Away
• over-the-air update
• safety
• Supercharger
• Tesla