EVwire brief: Tesla's new Emergency Drive Away feature, which lets drivers pull away from a Supercharger with the cable still plugged in, works at every Supercharger in the United States. That covers V2, V3, and V4 stalls as well as Supercharger for Business sites.
Normally, a Tesla stays locked in Park while it's connected to a Supercharger, and the driver has to release the connector from the touchscreen, the Tesla app, or the button on the charge handle before leaving. Emergency Drive Away overrides that lock. After confirming an on-screen warning, drivers can shift into Drive and leave with the cable attached. The car then sends short camera recordings of the event to Tesla so the company can check that it was a real emergency.
Here's the feature in action, as shown by Tesla Charging on X:
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Emergency Drive Away arrives with software update 2026.38.3. It's limited to the US for now, leaving Canada and other markets out at launch. Model S and Model X vehicles built before 2021 are not supported as well.
Tesla has highlighted that Emergency Drive Away is for emergencies only, since using it damages both the car and the Supercharger. Repair costs depend on the site, but Tesla said electrical and civil work on a Supercharger can run up to $25,000, and the car's charge port will need a mandatory service visit. Drivers who deliberately misuse the feature will face additional penalties, though Tesla hasn't said what those penalties are.
Tesla's Senior Director of Charging, Max de Zegher, said the company wrestled with the decision for years:
A feature we hope you never need. We select Supercharger locations with safety in mind and relocate sites deemed unsafe. Our goal is that you always feel safe getting out to unplug. We went back and forth on this for years, but believe offering it is the right call. Don't abuse it, so we don't have to restrict it. […] We'll improve it quickly based on feedback.
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Context:
Being trapped at a charger when a situation turns dangerous has long been a concern for EV drivers, since a car tethered to a stall can't just drive off. Aftermarket breakaway adapters fitted between the connector and the car have been the usual workaround. Emergency Drive Away does the job in software, with no extra hardware for drivers to carry.
EVject, a company built around breakaway charging hardware, welcomed the update. It said it filed a patent on a built-in breakaway charger tip in February 2023, had it granted in January 2024, and then shared the designs with Tesla's charging team. The company thanked Tesla for rolling out a solution, adding that the feature "will save lives."
Source: Tesla Charging and Max de Zegher on X
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