What’s new in the 2026 Model Y manual

1. Emergency Drive Away: a last resort at a Supercharger

New in the manual Safety

United States only. If you are charging at a Tesla Supercharger and you confirm it on the screen, the car stops charging and lets you drive away with the connector still plugged in. Tesla says this will damage the car and the charger, and the owner may have to pay for the repairs.

It is only for an emergency where all four of these are true:

• there is an immediate threat to life or personal safety;
• you must leave right away;
• getting out of the car is not safe;
• unplugging would unreasonably delay you or put you at risk.

It is not for convenience, for saving time, or for a stuck plug. It does not work at another company’s charger, a Wall Connector, or a Mobile Connector.

Good to know: once you touch Activate, Tesla Service must inspect the car, even if you never drive away. On an ordinary charging stop, unplug the usual way.

Manual, “Emergency Drive Away”, p. 267.

2. Always carry the backup key card

New in the manual

The manual adds a caution: always carry your key card in a purse or wallet. It is your backup if your phone’s battery is dead, or if the phone is lost or stolen.

What to do: keep the key card in your purse or wallet whenever you take the car.

Manual, “Keys”, p. 26.

3. Grok is no longer labeled “Beta”

New wording Catching up

The manual’s heading is now “Grok” instead of “Grok (Beta)”, and the note that said “Grok is in Beta” is gone. The help for the right scroll button dropped “Beta” too.

Nothing to do. The manual describes using Grok the same way as before: say “Hey Grok” or long-press the right scroll button. Only the label changed.

Manual, “Grok”, p. 189 (scroll button, p. 86).

4. Paint chips: use a paint repair kit

New wording

For small chips and scratches, Tesla now says to use a paint repair kit. The old edition said “paint touch-up pen.”

What to do: if you fix a chip, do it after washing the car and before polishing or waxing.

Manual, “Cleaning”, p. 230.

5. A waitlist at busy Superchargers

New in the manual

At some busy Supercharger sites, a waitlist holds your place in line and shows an estimated wait. It runs on the honor system. If you are navigating to a site where the waitlist is active, the car may add you automatically. Otherwise you can join from the notice on the touchscreen or from the Tesla app.

When it is your turn, the app and the car tell you. You then have three minutes to plug in. If you need longer, touch Add 30 Seconds. You are dropped from the list if you leave the site or miss your turn twice.

Good to know: the waitlist is not at every site. It needs Tesla app version 4.56.5 or later and car software 2026.14 or later.

Manual, “Waitlist for Supercharging”, p. 185–186.

6. The maps page no longer mentions “Tracking Disabled”

Manual wording only

The old manual said the message “Tracking Disabled” shows briefly after you move or rotate the map. This edition dropped that sentence.

Good to know: this is a change in the manual’s wording only. The manual does not say whether the message on your screen went away, so you may still see it.

Manual, “Maps and Navigation”. The sentence was on p. 181 of the last edition.

7. Halloween Mode in Toybox

New in the manual

Toybox has a Halloween Mode with two parts. Ghost Costume gives the car on your screen a spooky outfit. Trick or Treat plays a sound and flickers the lights when someone comes near.

Good to know: while Trick or Treat is on, the car’s cameras and sensors (if equipped) stay powered while the car is parked. It turns off by itself if the car goes into Low Power Mode.

Manual, “Theater, Arcade, and Toybox”, p. 192.