Tesla Intelligence BriefingDaily safety, charging and efficiency intelligence for Tesla owners

When the Charger You Chose Is Broken

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A charger that fails on arrival is a normal trip event, so write a second option for every stop before you leave. Check status in the car and the Tesla app as you approach. Before committing to the backup, check that your predicted range covers its distance plus a margin. If it does not, slow down or choose a nearer charger, and call Roadside Assistance if you cannot reach one.

Plan B is a name and a distance

A backup plan only helps if it is specific. “Find another charger” is not a plan. A name, a distance, and a reason it suits you is. Write it next to each planned stop before you leave, and keep the list somewhere you can read without a signal. Menu names change between software releases, so look in the manual if something below does not match your screen.

Before the trip

Action
List every planned charging stop and choose a second charger for each one, noting its distance from the first.
Why it helps
Chargers can be out of service, full, or slow, and none of those is something you can fix on arrival. A pre-chosen second option takes the stress out of the moment.
Verification
Every stop has a backup with a name and a distance written beside it.
Action
Prefer a stop with several stalls or a second charging location nearby, especially on remote stretches.Profile C
Why it helps
A single-stall site fails completely. A larger site usually leaves you with other options, even if one fails.
Verification
You can say how many stalls the planned stop has, or you have added a note that it is a single-stall site.
Action
Keep the mobile connector and any adapters your car came with, and check what your model includes.
Why it helps
On many current models a mobile connector lets you use ordinary outlets slowly. It is not a quick fix, but it can add a little range where nothing else is available.
Verification
You have seen the connector and adapters in the car, not assumed they are there.

As you approach each stop

Action
Check the charger’s availability and status in the car’s navigation and in the Tesla app well before you arrive, not at the entrance.
Why it helps
Status information can help you divert while you still have options. It is not perfect, so treat “available” as a good sign rather than a guarantee.
Verification
You know before you reach the exit whether the stop looks usable, and have the backup open if not.
Action
Apply the reach rule to the backup: predicted range must be at least its distance × (1 + your weather allowance) + a small floor.
Why it helps
Switching chargers costs extra distance, and detours are when people run low. A rule written in advance replaces guessing under stress.
Verification
The numbers say yes, with room left. If they do not, slow down or pick a nearer stop.
Action
Slow down and reduce extra loads if you need to stretch the range, and call Roadside Assistance early if you cannot reach any charger.
Why it helps
Speed is one of the biggest influences on consumption, so a modest reduction can add margin. Calling early is easier and safer than coasting to a stop.
Verification
The predicted arrival charge at the backup rises toward your plan, or help is on its way before range is critical.

If you arrive and it is blocked

Do not leave the car in the aisle of the site if you can avoid it, and do not unplug another vehicle. If a charger shows a fault, try one other stall, then move to the backup. Report the fault in the Tesla app if it offers that option, which helps the next driver.

How it works

Charging stops fail for ordinary reasons: a single unit is out of service, every stall is occupied, a stall is delivering less than expected, or the site is unreachable. Each one costs time, and the real danger is losing time and range at once when you have no second option.

A written backup separates those two losses. You still lose the time, but the range question has already been answered, because you decided in advance how far the next charger is and whether you can reach it. That is why the reach rule works at the moment of failure: it is the same arithmetic as the buffer rule on the trip planning page, applied to a shorter leg with different distance.

The status information the car and the app display helps you decide early, while you are still far from the stop. It is best used as a warning sign. A charger shown as available may still be busy by the time you arrive, so a margin on your arrival charge matters more than any status reading.

Worked example

Suppose you plan a stop at charger A. On approach, the app shows a fault on charger A. Charger B, the backup you wrote down, is 38 miles further along. The car shows 70 miles of range. You apply the reach rule with a 20% weather allowance and a 20-mile floor. These are made-up numbers, not Tesla data.

Needed: 38 × 1.20 = 45.6 miles, plus 20 = 65.6 miles. You have 70, so the backup works with about 4 miles to spare.

That is a thin margin, so slow down and avoid heavy cabin heating or cooling for the leg. On the way, check the predicted arrival charge at B. If it falls below the floor, call Roadside Assistance early, while you are still safely able to pull over. Suppose instead the car showed 60 miles. Then 60 < 65.6, so the rule fails, and you would choose a closer stop or arrange help before leaving charger A’s area.

Verify the result in the car: B’s predicted arrival charge, after you slow down, should be at or above your floor.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if a Supercharger is out of service?

Check status in the car and the Tesla app before you arrive, have a second charger already chosen, and slow down if you need to stretch your range to reach it. Call Roadside Assistance early if neither is reachable.

Can I rely on the availability information shown in the car?

It is a helpful signal but not a guarantee. A site shown as available can fill up or develop a fault before you arrive, so keep a margin on your arrival charge.

How do I decide whether I can reach a backup charger?

Multiply its distance by one plus your weather allowance, then add a small floor. If the range shown in your car is larger than that, you can reach it; if not, slow down or choose a nearer one.

Should I carry the mobile connector on a road trip?

On many current models it is a sensible item to keep in the car, but check what yours includes. It charges slowly, so treat it as a last resort rather than a plan.

Who do I call if I cannot reach any charger?

Use Roadside Assistance, which you can reach through the Tesla app or the number in your manual. Call before the battery is critically low, and call emergency services if you are in an unsafe place.