Tesla Model Y Trip Planner: Add Stops and Check a Backup Charger

A charger marked on the map is not automatically a workable backup. The useful question is whether you can reach it without receiving a charge at the stop that failed—and whether you can actually use it when you arrive.

This guide follows the Canadian 2025+ Tesla Model Y navigation manual. Controls and availability can vary with vehicle software and region. Do route editing while safely parked, not while driving.

1. Build the main route first

1. Enter your destination in the map search bar. Under Controls → Navigation, enable Trip Planner where available so the route can include necessary Supercharger stops.
2. Expand the directions and inspect the charging stops, their order and the estimated arrival energy. The battery icon also shows an estimated return journey to your current location.
3. Tap a charging-location pin for details. Predicted stall availability is not a reservation; restrictions, reduced operation or missing status data deserve attention before departure.

2. Find an alternative you can actually use

Tap the search bar, then Charging, to inspect nearby sites and their map pins. Check access restrictions, opening arrangements and the connector or approved adapter required. For another charging network, confirm its payment or account requirements separately. Being visible on the map does not establish compatibility.

Where the setting is available, Controls → Navigation → Third-Party Charging Stations displays other networks. Tesla says Trip Planner does not automatically route to these stations; add a suitable station manually.

Save a promising alternative by tapping its map pin, then the star, entering a recognisable name and choosing Add to Favorites. A favourite is a saved location, not an extra scheduled charging stop or a reserved charger.

3. Add, remove and reorder stops

1. With a route active, tap the pin-with-plus icon below the directions to add a stop. Search for the alternative or select it from Favorites. You can also tap its map pin and choose Add.
2. Use the three-dot menu for more route-editing options. The pencil icon opens Edit Stop, where you can add or delete stops.
3. Drag the equal-sign handle beside a stop to change its position. Recheck the resulting order rather than assuming a newly added charger is in the right place.

4. Check the failed-charger scenario—not just a second stop

Do not simply add the backup after the primary charger and trust the final arrival percentage. That itinerary may still assume you successfully charged at the primary stop.

Before departure, inspect a version of the route that uses the alternative in place of the primary charging stop. Check its stop order and estimated arrival energy without a charging session at the unavailable location. If Trip Planner retains or reinserts that location, you have not established a workable backup. This is a planning check, not a separate Tesla “simulate charger failure” feature.

A direct route to the alternative may be shorter than driving to the primary first. Include the distance already spent reaching the failed site and any onward detour; if you cannot model that without an assumed charge, treat the backup as unverified.

Do not remove all charging stops to make a warning disappear. If you cannot establish a reachable, usable alternative, plan an earlier charge or change the journey. A positive estimated arrival percentage is not a guarantee, particularly if conditions change.

5. Restore the intended route, then keep checking

Once you have assessed the alternative, restore your intended primary route before departure. Leave the backup saved as a favourite unless you actually want to visit it. Confirm the final destination and all required charging stops are still present.

If a charging site fails during the trip, stop safely and recheck the alternative from your actual location and current battery energy. An earlier screenshot may no longer describe your situation. Tesla says Trip Planner attempts to reroute around a known Supercharger outage, but that is not a guarantee of a reachable or available replacement.

Treat a warning that charging is required as a reason to resolve the charging plan—not permission to drive past a needed stop. If no usable charger is safely reachable, seek assistance rather than gambling on the remaining range.

Source checked October 31, 2026.