Tesla will now let you drive off mid-charge if there’s an emergency

What happened

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. To put the car in drive, a charging cable has to be manually released from the vehicle's charging port. Tesla is an automotive and solar company based in Palo Alto.

When a Tesla vehicle is charging, the plug is locked to the charging port and driving is disabled. 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.

Key facts

• 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
• To put the car in drive, a charging cable has to be manually — released: from the vehicle's charging port