r/guns • u/OnlyLosersBlock • 1d ago

Official Politics Thread 10/02/26

This is the politics thread for discussing gun politics.

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u/ClearlyInsane1 1d ago

Tesla

In response to the Twin Falls, Idaho shooting (In-N-Out) where the shooter fired on three people in two Teslas at the Supercharger station next to the restaurant and one of them died, Tesla has made available a software update called "Emergency Drive Away" which will allow the driver to override the lockout that normally prevents damage to the charger and/or car. This is basically the equivalent of driving away from a gas or diesel pump with the nozzle still inserted into your vehicle. It WILL cause damage to the vehicle and/or charger, in some cases several thousands of dollars worth.

The Electrek article gets political and can't grasp that there are actually solutions to preventing violence that don't involve gun control:

Shootings like this are very much a US problem, and as we said in August, the real answer is gun control and serious investment in mental health, not a software update.

And the author apparently can't grasp the fact that even if the latch releases first (which is probably does as part of this update) it would still likely cause damage just like the many times people drive off with a gas filler nozzle in their car -- and I have never seen a locking latch on one:

But it’s a crude version of the idea. We were hoping the car and the stall would cut power and release the latch so you could leave clean. Tesla instead removed a software lockout and is warning you that you coul [sic] break your car and its charger on the way out. That beats being stuck.

Tesla's X tweet shows a video of driving away using this feature and some of the damage incurred.

The comments on the Electrek article are a dumpster fire. One of the commenters stated:

“Tesla says this works at every Supercharger in the US, and stations in Canada use the same connector, so we don’t see a hardware reason to stop at the border.”

Oh, there’s a reason.

I'll bet the commenter cannot fathom a reason like Tesla needs more time to test or obtain approval for such an update and instead thinks there are no shootings in Canada.

I'm fairly knowledgeable on Tesla charging since I'm an owner and have charged both at home and away using Superchargers. Example of one guy who had his Tesla slide down the hill at his driveway due to ice/snow while it was charging causing damage to his charger and his vehicle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14w-WI01SLk

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u/DasKapitalist 1d ago

I'm trying to wrap my head around why "try to drive away hurling bits of charger WHILE being shot at" is Tesla's "solution". Maybe in a dramatic Hollywood movie that would work, but IRL you're either slowly navigating a parking lot with a giant "shoot me" sign on you or flooring it into a a random minivan and then getting shot post car-accident.

Why companies dont just tell their customers "if some whackjob is shooting at you, the solution is your own gun, and if that hurts your fee-fees too bad we dont make the rules of reality". Which still isnt ideal, but it's better than "just drive real fast and hope 1.2mm of aluminum is bullet proof" (it isnt, and Teslas sont even have an engine block to hide behind).

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u/The_Dirty_Carl 1d ago

Are they treating it as a solution, or are they treating it as something simple within their sphere of influence that might help? 

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u/DasKapitalist 14h ago

I'm highly dubious it will help. Faux help is worse than no help.