Tesla is introducing an Emergency Drive Away feature that allows its vehicles to leave a Supercharger while still connected. The option is designed for urgent situations, but using it can damage both the vehicle and the charging equipment.

How Emergency Drive Away works

The feature arrives with software version 2026.38.3. If a driver selects Drive while the vehicle remains plugged in, the touchscreen displays an Emergency Drive Away warning. The driver must hold the brake pedal and tap “Activate” before the charging interlock is overridden.

There is no new breakaway connector involved. Once activated, the vehicle can move forward with the cable attached, tearing it away from the Supercharger as the car drives off. Tesla’s demonstration showed coolant spilling onto the ground after the connection was pulled free.

Tesla identified the liquid as glycol and said cleanup will be included as part of the mandatory Supercharger service visit required after the feature is used. The vehicle’s charge port will also need service.

Potential repair costs

Tesla Charging has warned that Emergency Drive Away is not intended for convenience, such as leaving quickly because the driver is late. Deliberate misuse will result in additional penalties, although Tesla has not explained what those penalties will be.

The company said electrical and civil repairs for a damaged Supercharger can cost as much as $25,000, depending on the station. Tesla has not said whether someone using the feature during a legitimate emergency would necessarily be responsible for that full amount.

Timing follows Idaho shooting

The feature was demonstrated roughly two months after a mass shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho. Police said the attacker fired at people inside two Teslas near a Supercharger, killing 66-year-old Dale Schultz and injuring seven others.

Tesla has not explicitly stated that the shooting led to Emergency Drive Away. Charging executive Max de Zegher said the company had discussed the feature for years before deciding to make it available, describing it as an option Tesla hopes drivers never need.

Emergency Drive Away gives Tesla owners an additional way to leave a charging location during a serious threat, but the tradeoff is potentially extensive damage to the charging system and a required service visit for the vehicle.