Tesla announced that its new “Emergency Drive Away” feature can cause up to $25,000 in damage to a Supercharger each time someone uses it, while the car requires a mandatory service visit.
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Tesla has released more details about this feature in response to questions from owners. However, Tesla has not clarified who is responsible for paying this bill.
Yesterday, Tesla launched its Emergency Drive Away feature, which allows drivers to start their car and drive away while still plugged into a Supercharger. The feature was introduced two months after an incident in which a gunman shot three people in Teslas at a Supercharger station in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Tesla was clear that the feature “will cause damage to your vehicle and Supercharger.” It didn’t clarify the extent of that damage until an owner asked about the physical and financial consequences.
Damages depend on the Supercharger, but electrical and civil costs can reach up to $25,000. A service visit is mandatory for the charging port, and the feature should only be used in emergencies.
Tesla said the car is not unscathed. A service visit for the charging port is required, but no price is provided for this service.
There's also cleaning that needs to be done. Another owner asked about the liquid that appeared to be flowing from the charger in Tesla's demonstration video. Tesla explained that it's glycol, the coolant in the cable, and that it will be cleaned as part of a "mandatory Supercharger service visit."
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For context, Tesla’s own price list shows that the Supercharger for Business configurator estimates an eight-position V4 site at $500,000 in equipment, or $62,500 per site, before installation. Tesla’s worst-case repair cost is 40% of that.
That cost is also more than 80 times the price of EVject, the $299 disconnect adapter that owners started recommending again after the Twin Falls incident. Tesla sued EVject in 2024 over claims of overheating.
Several owners immediately asked Tesla who is responsible for the costs, including whether a driver who uses the feature in a true emergency will be responsible for repairing the Supercharger.
Tesla did not respond to these questions. Its account went on to answer other questions in the same thread, confirming that the feature works in V2, V3, and V4 locations, but not in home chargers.
It also faced a question about penalties. When asked if there are penalties for misuse, Tesla responded “Yes,” and the launch post states that intentional misuse “will incur additional penalties.” However, it has not specified what those penalties are or how it will determine what constitutes misuse.
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Tesla has a simple method for collecting fees. Each Supercharger session is linked to a Tesla account with a payment method registered, which is how it charges for idle and congestion fees.
