New device allows EVs to drive away from plug-in chargers in case of emergency [Video]

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s routine for electric vehicle owners to stop, charge their battery and go about their day.

But it’s not without its chances of running into precarious situations.

“I was charging at about midnight and two young men came up, pounding on my window wanting to see inside my cool car,” said Amanda Richards, who has had her Tesla since 2021. “My heart rate goes up and all I thought of was, ‘What do I do if they don’t go away?’ I can call 911. I can lock my doors, but I can’t drive away.”

Why is it that Richards found herself stuck while charging her EV?

“They all have a single flaw, and that is that when you are plugged in, whether or not there’s electricity flowing, you can’t shift out of park,” Richards said.

Plugged in and in a pinch, fortunately those pests left her …