Just tapping Activate on Tesla's Emergency Drive Away can lead to a $539 service bill, even if the car never moves. Drive Tesla Canada reported the case from posts on X by Yaro (@Tutrifour).
What happened
According to Yaro, a customer tapped Activate while still plugged into a Supercharger and was about to drive off. They remembered the cable and stopped. Their car still showed an alert, "BMS_a228_EmergencyDriveAwayServiceRequired", which Yaro said only Tesla Service can clear. In a follow-up on Oct. 30, Yaro wrote that service charges $539 "to inspect the charge port and to clear the alert. Yes, even if you didn't move the car an inch." That is the figure reported in one case, not a published Tesla price.
What Tesla has said
Tesla added Emergency Drive Away in update 2026.38.3. It lets a driver pull away from a Supercharger with the cable still attached in an emergency. You shift into Drive, hold the brake and tap Activate. Electrek reported that Tesla's charging account said damage can cost "up to $25k" in electrical and civil work at the Supercharger. It also said a service visit for the car's charge port is mandatory.
The latest release notes say drivers "may be responsible for repair costs". They add that short camera recordings are shared with Tesla when the feature is activated.
The takeaway
Treat the Activate button as an emergency-only control. If it appears when you shift by mistake, do not tap it. Unplug the normal way.
