Tesla launches capability to drive away while plugged in after deadly Supercharger shooting

Tesla has added a new feature called Emergency Drive Away that lets a car shift into Drive and pull away while still plugged into a Supercharger. Normally a Tesla won't move out of Park with the charge cable connected—you have to unlock the charge port from the touchscreen, the app, or the handle button and wait for the latch to release. This update removes that lockout for emergencies.

Tesla is blunt about the tradeoff: using the feature will damage the car and the charging stall, and the company warns of unspecified "additional penalties" for deliberate misuse. It requires a software update (version 2026.38.3), and older Model S and Model X vehicles built before 2021 aren't supported. For now, it only works at Superchargers in the United States, even though stations in Canada use the same plug.

The change comes two months after a gunman shot three people in Teslas at a Supercharger next to an In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho, killing one of them. That attack, along with a 2023 shooting at a Colorado Supercharger, had pushed owners to ask Tesla for a built-in way to escape a charging stall quickly, rather than relying on aftermarket devices.

For most owners, this is a safety feature you'll hopefully never need to use. If you drive a newer Tesla and charge at Superchargers in the US, it's now there as a last resort, with the understanding that using it may mean repair costs for your car and the charger afterward.