Tesla has unveiled an emergency departure feature in the United States, enabling drivers to engage the D gear and drive off even when their vehicle remains connected to a Supercharger. Nevertheless, this feature could lead to losses amounting to as much as $25,000 for Supercharger stations. The potential damages encompass harm to the vehicle, charging gun, cables, and more, with repair work involving both electrical and civil engineering tasks. Following the use of this feature, the vehicle must undergo repairs to assess the condition of the charging port. Additionally, the Supercharger station necessitates compulsory maintenance and the cleanup of any glycol-based coolant that has sprayed from the cables. This feature is compatible with V2, V3, and V4 Supercharger stations, but it is not available for home charging setups. Tesla has not yet commented on whether drivers will be held responsible for the repair costs when utilizing this feature in emergency scenarios. The company has also mentioned that intentional misuse of the feature will result in additional penalties, although the specific measures and criteria for determining misuse remain to be defined.
