The first documented real-world use of Tesla's Emergency Drive Away feature appears to have been a mistake: a Model Y driver at an Austin, Texas, Supercharger pulled away with the cable still attached early on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, the morning of the city's F1 race. A Reddit user who was charging nearby posted a video of it in r/TeslaLounge, and both Not a Tesla App and Teslarati reported it on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

What the video shows

According to Not a Tesla App, the short clip shows the driver tapping through prompts on the touchscreen, then pulling forward while still plugged in. A few seconds later he gets out and walks back to the stall. The poster wrote that he "heard a pop" and "genuinely felt bad for the dude," who looked exhausted and "only seemed to half read the prompts."

Why it matters

  • Cost: Tesla has said repairing a Supercharger stall after a breakaway can cost up to $25,000. Both outlets note that the driver can be held responsible if it wasn't a real emergency.
  • Safeguards: shifting out of Park while plugged in brings up a red warning, and the driver has to hold the brake and tap "Activate." Not a Tesla App reports that short camera clips are sent to Tesla to check that there was a real emergency.
  • After use: the car's charge port is damaged too, and Tesla requires a Service visit.
  • Where: the feature arrived with software 2026.38.3 and only works at U.S. Superchargers. Not a Tesla App says it excludes legacy Model S and Model X built before 2021.

We explained how the feature works when it launched: see Superchargers hit a record 2.4 TWh in Q3, plus Emergency Drive Away.

What we don't know

Neither outlet says whether this driver will be charged for the damage, and Tesla hasn't commented. Not a Tesla App notes that Tesla charging director Max de Zegher has said the feature will be improved based on feedback. The poster suggested stronger warnings, such as a flashing red screen and a loud alert.

Owner takeaway: if you just forgot to unplug, stop and unplug. Read every prompt that appears when you shift while connected.