One Tesla employee called it “a feature we hope you never need.”
Tesla on Thursday rolled out an over-the-air software update called “Emergency Drive” that allows vehicles to quickly enter driving mode when plugged into a Supercharger station.
Typically, a Tesla will not pull out of a parking space if a cable is detected.
Two months ago, three people were killed in a shooting near an In-N-Out mall in Twin Falls, Idaho. One of the victims, Dale Schultz, was inside a Tesla car at a charging station with his wife when the shooting occurred, NBC affiliate KTVB reported.
Tesla said in the X post that the feature is only for emergencies.
“Using this feature can damage your vehicle and Supercharger station,” the post reads. “Intentional misuse will incur additional penalties.”
A video demonstration posted on the X shows how the Tesla disengages from the charging handle after the driver switches to drive mode and presses the “start” button at the bottom of the alert message.
“We hope you never need” this feature, Max de Zegher, senior director of charging for North America, said in an X post.
“We select Supercharger locations with safety in mind and relocate sites deemed unsafe. Our goal is that you always feel safe to go out and unplug,” he wrote. “We’ve been going back and forth on this issue for years, but believe offering it is the right decision. Don’t abuse it so we don’t have to restrict it.”
Tesla has not disclosed what penalties will be imposed if a driver abuses this feature.
A Tesla spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.