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Tesla Will Let You Drive Off a Supercharger. It Can Cost You $25,000

Silver Model Y plugged into a Supercharger at night, headline Drive Off Still Plugged, red bar Up to $25,000
10/02/2026 | The RED Review |

Tesla’s new Emergency Drive Away lets a car shift into Drive at a U.S. Supercharger with the handle still plugged in. Tesla says it is for emergencies only and will damage the car and the stall.

Can you drive a Tesla off a Supercharger without unplugging? Yes, in an emergency, if the car is on software 2026.38.3 and you are at a U.S. Supercharger. Tesla Charging announced Emergency Drive Away on Oct. 1, 2026. Tesla says using it “will damage your vehicle and the Supercharger,” and Tesla Charging told an owner that “electrical & civil cost can be up to $25k,” depending on the Supercharger. Do not use it to see what happens.

What Tesla announced

Tesla Charging, the company’s charging account on X, posted a 36-second video on Oct. 1: “Emergency Drive Away lets you shift into Drive while still plugged into a Supercharger.” A follow-up post adds: “Intended for emergency use only. Use of this feature will damage your vehicle and the Supercharger. Deliberate misuse will invoke additional penalties.” Business Insider and Teslarati both report that Tesla did not say what the penalties are.

Tesla charging executive Max de Zegher wrote on X: “A feature we hope you never need.” He added: “Don’t abuse it, so we don’t have to restrict it.” He also wrote that Tesla will “improve it quickly based on feedback.”

Tesla’s posts do not say why it shipped now. Business Insider, Engadget and Drive Tesla Canada tie the timing to the Aug. 1 shooting at a Twin Falls, Idaho, Supercharger site, after which owners asked for a way to leave quickly.

What the car shows

Until now, a Tesla would not leave Park with the cable connected. Owners had to release the latch from the touchscreen, the Tesla app or the button on the handle, Teslarati reports.

With 2026.38.3, shifting into Drive with the handle in brings up an Emergency Drive Away prompt. The text in Tesla’s video reads: “Cannot shift while connected to a Supercharger. Activate Emergency Drive Away to override. Driving with the cable connected will cause damage to your vehicle and the Supercharger. Use only in an emergency.” Teslarati quotes a footer on the same screen: “Short camera recordings will be shared with Tesla.” The prompt offers Cancel and Activate.

The video’s captions say the handle “will break away” and “fall on the ground,” and call the feature one that is “not to be used lightly.” Normal charging has not changed. You unplug, then you drive.

White Tesla Supercharger stall with the charging handle docked in its holster
Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0

What it can cost

An owner asked Tesla Charging what damage, “physical and monetary,” to expect. Tesla Charging replied: “Depends on the Supercharger, but electrical & civil cost can be up to $25k. Service visit mandatory for the chargeport. Only use in case of an emergency.”

So $25,000 is a ceiling that varies by site, and Tesla described it as electrical and civil cost. It is not a flat fee, and the posts do not say who is billed. Engadget noted it is “not quite clear if Tesla will ask you to pay for activating the drive-away feature in case of actual emergencies.” Tesla also has not said whether the charge-port repair on the car is covered by warranty.

Asked about the fluid that comes out of a damaged stall, Tesla Charging said it is glycol, “which Tesla will clean up as part of the mandatory service visit to the Supercharger after the damage is incurred.”

Who gets it, and where

Tesla Charging’s replies set these limits:

  • Software: The car needs the “latest software update” and Tesla names 2026.38.3.
  • Older cars: “Pre 2021 Model S/X” are not supported.
  • Country: It applies to “US Superchargers only for now,” and Drive Tesla Canada reports Tesla has not said when it will reach Canada.
  • Sites: Tesla Charging said it works at “all Superchargers in the US (V2, V3, V4) and Supercharger for Business sites.”
  • Home charging: Asked about a home charger, Tesla Charging answered, “Only on Superchargers.”

Tesla’s video says the update is “rolling out over-the-air now,” so not every car will have the prompt yet. The 2026.38 release notes that Not a Tesla App logged did not list Emergency Drive Away as of Oct. 2.

What to do

  1. Unplug the normal way, with the touchscreen, the app or the button on the handle.
  2. Tap Cancel if the Emergency Drive Away prompt appears and you are not in danger.
  3. Open Software on the touchscreen to see whether your car runs 2026.38.3.
  4. Expect a Tesla service visit if anyone ever uses it, because Tesla calls the visit mandatory.

Answers

Can I drive off a Supercharger while still plugged in?

Yes, on software 2026.38.3 at a U.S. Supercharger, after you confirm a prompt. Tesla says it is for emergencies only and will damage your car and the Supercharger.

Will it cost me $25,000?

Tesla Charging said electrical and civil cost “can be up to $25k,” depending on the Supercharger. It did not say who pays or what a real emergency would cost the driver.

Does it work on a wall connector or at home?

No. Tesla Charging’s answer was “Only on Superchargers.”

Does my car have it?

Only if it is on 2026.38.3 and is not a Model S or Model X from before 2021. Check Software on the touchscreen.

What happens if someone misuses it?

Tesla says deliberate misuse “will invoke additional penalties” and has not said what they are. The prompt also warns that short camera recordings will be shared with Tesla.

Sources

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