But it’s only available for Superchargers in the US.
Tesla has introduced a new feature that allows you to drive away even if you are still connected to a Supercharger in case of emergency. This comes a few months after a driver was shot in the Tesla taxi he was loading at an In-N-Out Burger location in Twin Falls, Idaho. To be able to go from park to drive on a Tesla after charging, you must open the charging port from the vehicle’s infotainment system or its app, or by pressing a button on the charger. As you can see, this is a problem if you need to get out quickly.
After the incident, Tesla owners called on the automaker to implement a quick get-away system, even if they had to pay to prevent it from being misused. Now Tesla has announced Emergency Drive Away on X with a short demo of how it can be activated. If you switch to Drive while the charger is still attached to your car, your infotainment system will display a notice that you must activate the feature to bypass the lock. It also displays a warning that driving with the cable connected will cause damage to your car in the to the Supercharger station. “Use only in an emergency,” it says. To toggle the feature, you need to hold the brake pedal and tap Activate on the screen.
To access the feature, you must upgrade to the latest software. Currently, it only works with superchargers in the US, and pre-2021 Model S and X vehicles are not supported. At X, the company says willful misconduct “will attract additional penalties.” When asked what kind of physical and monetary damages one can expect if the feature is used, the company replied that “electrical and civil costs are up to $25k.” It is not entirely clear whether Tesla will ask you to pay for the activation of the drive feature in case of actual emergencies.
Emergency Drive Away lets you switch to Drive when you’re still stuck in a Supercharger pic.twitter.com/40GSzyP4lG
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) October 1, 2026