Talk about a costly mistake. One shopper happened to get stuck in the line of cars trying to exit the car park last week when a vehicle seemed stalled near the front. Upon further investigation, that car happened to be a Tesla Model S electric vehicle. How did the EV run out of battery in the least convenient place possible?

This Tesla Model S ran out of battery while trying to leave

Traffic can be a major bummer for anyone. However, trying to leave the grocery store with a trunk full of refrigerated goods is usually a quick process. But not for these drivers. One Reddit user, henrylondon1988, on the London subreddit got caught in the perfect storm.

Drivers were trying to exit the parking garage at a local Westfield store. At the front of the line happened to be a Tesla Model S EV. Apparently, the Model S ran out of battery while trying to make its way to the exit. The shopping center is equipped with chargers in certain areas, which makes this quite a silly mistake.

Photos from the original poster show a variety of cars snaking around the parking platform. Since these exits usually only have one lane in and one lane out, many of the vehicles behind the Tesla were trapped for around three hours. From the photos, the Tesla driver tried to move out of the way but was unsuccessful.

Wouldn’t the Tesla Model S offer plenty of warning before the battery dies?

Teslas usually come equipped with a “tow mode,” which would have allowed this vehicle to be moved out of the way. It is possible that there was an issue with the dead battery that complicated the situation. It also makes sense the vehicle would lock the brakes on default, just in case. Tesla wouldn’t want a car with a dead battery to go rolling down a hill on accident.

However, Tesla EVs do not just run out of battery. There are a variety of warnings in place when the vehicle hits a certain amount of battery life. The driver would be receiving alerts both on the dashboard and through sounds that would indicate that the car needed a charge. In addition to those warnings, the EV can usually make it a bit after the battery hits 0%. Much like a gasoline-powered vehicle, there is usually a charge/gas for an emergency situation.

The driver of the Tesla Model 3 could have potentially found a plug and plugged it in for a bit. A standard charger isn’t going to work very fast, but it’s better than this option.

When range anxitey isn’t a concern

This driver might have been in an emergency and was hitting the store for supplies. There’s no way to know. But for the most part, running out of charge while trying to leave the store seems avoidable. According to Tesla, the newest variety of the Tesla Model S gets around 375 miles of range. The tri-motor Model S Plaid gets about 348 miles of range.

For now, this can be a lesson others learn from this Model S owner’s mistake. Make sure your EV is charged before heading to a store with a long exit out of the parking garage. Or, just make sure your electric vehicle is charged in general.