Tesla update lets drivers flee while still plugged in

Tesla ↗ 4.65% on Thursday, Oct. 1, began rolling out an over-the-air software update called "Emergency Drive Away." It lets a car shift into drive while it is still plugged into a Supercharger, so a driver in danger can leave without getting out to unplug the cable. The company says the feature is only for emergencies and that using it will damage both the car and the charger.businessinsider+1

Until now, Tesla vehicles would not shift out of park while a charging cable was connected. The new option comes two months after a deadly shooting next to a Supercharger in Twin Falls, Idaho. One of the people killed was sitting in a charging Tesla at the time.driveteslacanada+1

How it works

The feature is free in software version 2026.38.3. For now it works only at U.S. Superchargers, and Model S and Model X vehicles built before 2021 can't use it. A driver shifts into drive, and an "Emergency Drive Away" alert appears on the main screen. The driver then holds the brake, taps "Activate" and drives off. In a demonstration video posted by the company's Tesla Charging account on X, the car pulls away and breaks free of the charging handle.x+2

"Use of this feature will damage your vehicle and the Supercharger," Tesla said in its post. "Deliberate misuse will invoke additional penalties". Drive Tesla Canada reported that using the feature automatically sends a recording of the event to Tesla. The company hasn't said what the penalties would be.businessinsider+1

"A feature we hope you never need"

Max de Zegher, Tesla's senior director of charging for North America, wrote on X that the company chooses Supercharger sites "with safety in mind and relocate[s] sites deemed unsafe."

> "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."businessinsider

A Tesla spokesperson did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.businessinsider

Response to the Idaho shooting

The Aug. 1 attack near an In-N-Out restaurant and the Supercharger next to it killed three people and injured several others. NBC affiliate KTVB reported that victim Dale Schultz was inside a Tesla with his wife at the charging station. After the shooting, owners asked Tesla for a way to escape while charging.driveteslacanada+1

Before this update, the main workaround was the Escape Connector, a product from aftermarket maker EVject. It sits between the cable and the car and separates when the driver pulls away. Tesla sued EVject in 2024 over alleged overheating risks, and EVject later recalled its original connectors. Its current design includes thermal protection. Tesla hasn't said when the feature might reach drivers outside the U.S., including in Canada.driveteslacanada