Tesla will now let you drive off mid-charge if there’s an emergency
Tesla has released a software update that allows drivers to break away from a charging station while the cable is still attached. This emergency feature was developed following a fatal shooting at a Supercharger station in Idaho to ensure drivers can escape dangerous situations quickly.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of vehicle safety design and public security concerns in an era of increased gun violence.
Tesla introduced a new feature to enable drivers to escape quickly while charging their vehicles in response to a mass shooting at a Supercharger location in Idaho in August that left seven people wounded and four dead.
When a Tesla vehicle is charging, the plug is locked to the charging port and driving is disabled. To put the car in drive, a charging cable has to be manually released from the vehicle’s charging port. Since the shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho, Tesla owners have been requesting a quick-release mechanism that would allow them to escape in the event of an emergency. This week, Tesla responded with a software update that responds to those concerns.
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