What to keep in your Tesla for a roadside emergency, since there’s no spare tire.

No Tesla comes with a spare tire, and Tesla discontinued its own tire-repair kit in 2021, so what you carry in the frunk or trunk is entirely up to you. A basic roadside kit costs little and takes up almost no space — here’s what’s actually worth keeping in the car.

Why this matters more in a Tesla

Without a spare, a flat tire on the road usually means calling Tesla Roadside Assistance through the Tesla app rather than swapping a wheel yourself. Teslas also need a specific lifting point to be jacked up safely without damaging the battery pack or underbody, which most drivers don’t carry either. That makes a basic kit less about doing your own repair and more about staying safe and comfortable while you wait for help.

What to actually carry

AAA’s roadside emergency kit checklist is built for any car, and most of it fits easily in a Tesla’s frunk: a flashlight, jumper cables or a portable jump starter, a basic first aid kit, a phone charging cable, a reflective warning triangle, gloves, a small tool kit, and a blanket. Add a bottle of water and a few shelf-stable snacks if you drive rural routes regularly. AAA also recommends adding an ice scraper, a collapsible shovel, and a bag of sand or cat litter for traction once winter weather arrives — worth stashing in the same bag rather than buying separately later.

What you don’t need to duplicate

If you already carry a portable jump starter or a tire-plug kit in your Tesla, you don’t need a second one bundled into a generic kit — check what you already have for overlap before you buy. The point of a kit like this is covering what Roadside Assistance can’t fix instantly, like a dead 12-volt battery at 11 p.m. or a minor cut that needs a bandage before you’re back on the road, not replacing the app when something more serious happens.

Photo by Vladimir Srajber.