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Tesla has finally launched “Actually Smart Summon,” an advanced driver assist feature that’s helpful in parking lots.
In 2019, Tesla introduced its Smart Summon feature, which allows you to move your Tesla vehicle to your location or a location of your choice.
However, the feature didn’t perform as expected, with users reporting frequent failures. There were incidents where the feature didn’t respond properly, causing vehicles to bump into obstacles or other cars. In one case, a Tesla even collided with a private jet while the owner was using Smart Summon.
As a result of these issues, Tesla CEO Elon Musk acknowledged that Smart Summon was far from what he envisioned and assured customers that the company was working on an upgraded version.
How Does Smart Summon Work?
“Actually Smart Summon” allows users to command their Tesla vehicle to come to their location or move to a specific location. Users need to open the Tesla app and navigate to the Summon tab to use it. They will find two options: “Come to Me” and “Go to Target.” Both options are self-explanatory—the first lets users summon their Tesla to their current location, while the second allows them to set a destination and direct their Tesla to go there.
The major upgrade in “Actually Smart Summon” compared to Smart Summon is the shift from using ultrasonic sensors for navigation to Tesla Vision. Additionally, users will receive a live feed from their vehicle’s camera while using “Actually Smart Summon”, which is especially helpful when there is no clear line of sight to their vehicle.
Actually Smart Summon is 🔥🔥 https://t.co/ybSzYP2MtS
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2024
Tesla has requested that users only use the feature in parking lots and driveways. Additionally, the company has clearly stated in the release notes that the owner will still be responsible for their vehicle if anything goes wrong while using “Actually Smart Summon.”
Actually Smart Summon full release notes pic.twitter.com/6GNGxmaJ4h
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) September 3, 2024
That said, “Actually Smart Summon” is currently only available for Hardware 4 Tesla vehicles and will soon be rolled out to Hardware 3-equipped vehicles.
In addition to Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has also released Dumb Summon, which allows users to move their Tesla vehicle forward or backward through the Tesla mobile app. This will be helpful during parking when users want their Tesla vehicle to park in a particular spot.
