Tesla is one of the car producers that took the pandemic in their stride. They've remained prominent in the public eye for quite a few years now, and it seems as though the carmaker, like their CEO Elon Musk, are making headlines all the time these days.
Recent Tesla models like the Model X, Model Y, and Lotus Elise-based Roadster have garnered plenty of attention from dedicated fans and venture capitalists alike. In 2020, Tesla's stock shot up 700%, with sales doubling, making the EV brand one of the most valuable and successful companies on Earth.
Aside from all-electric powertrains, a big part of Tesla’s success comes from its high-tech innovations, and the Tesla Smart Summon Feature is a great example.
Using the Smart Summon mobile application, Tesla owners can either use the “Come to me” or “Come to target” options to order the car to start and drive itself to said location, given that it’s no more than about 60 meters from the car. Since it was launched two years ago, the autopilot feature has been popularized on social media by Tesla owners who took pictures of their cars navigating through parking lots with the feature activated.
But, there have been a few setbacks with this feature, resulting in investigations into the innovative Auto drive. Other than that, the feature has satisfied its owners by taking the stress out of walking with a handful of groceries in a parking lot or walking in the rain to get to their car. Sure, that may seem kind of lazy, but welcome to the 21st century!
So, let's take a closer look at the Smart Summon Feature, Tesla’s convenient self-drive technology.
The Smart Summon Feature Has Been Around Longer Than You Might Think
The summon feature was introduced in 2016 as part of the Autopilot Version 7.1 update. The feature was first made available for the Tesla Model S and Model X, and it was later added as part of Autopilot FSD to the Tesla Model 3 when the car went into production in 2017.
When the over-the-air update was deployed, it received a lot of positive reviews from Tesla owners, who loved the added convenience and safety when they were either retrieving or parking their EVs.
In September 2019, Tesla updated the summon feature again, and this time, it was given a new name: Smart Summon. This over-the-air update came as part of Tesla's Autopilot Software Version 10.0 software upgrade.
As with the previous version, the Smart Summon upgrade was only made for vehicles fitted with the Autopilot FSD. The Smart Summon feature was made to allow the car to navigate through a larger parking lot and even move out beyond a driveway. Other automotive brands, such as Hyundai and Genesis, have also introduced an auto-drive feature for their cars, in the form of “Remote Smart Parking Assist”.
Today, the Smart Summon remains one of the most popular features offered by Tesla. Its straightforward procedure also makes it super easy to use.
How Smart Summon Actually Works
As mentioned, the Tesla Smart Summon was designed for use in parking lots only.
Tesla owners can use the Smart Summon feature through a mobile app. When opening the Smart Summon app, two command buttons appear, namely “Come to me” and “Go to target”. To use either command, as you'd expect, you simply press and hold the button on your smartphone. The Tesla will then start its engine and begin its progression toward you at a safe speed.
To keep the car in motion, you'd need to keep your finger on the button. If you release the button, the car will immediately come to a standstill.
Some Customers Aren't Happy With The Feature
Shortly after the Smart Summon was launched, a number of customers claimed that the feature didn’t work as intended. Some Tesla owners started posting videos of close calls with the Smart Summon feature. These videos included a Tesla Model 3 driving out of the parking lot and into traffic and another model was seen damaging a bumper. It wasn't long before Tesla received plenty of public criticism regarding the safety of the summon feature.
In fact, the resulting crashes and close calls prompted an investigation by the NHTSA. At the end of their inquiry, the agency basically explained how it was aware of the safety concerns and that contact was ongoing with the company to gather more information and square in on the problem.
Following allegations made by Tesla owners about battery defects in the Model S and Model X, the NHTSA published a petition which connected these issues to a September 2019 software upgrade. The NHTSA is continuing to oversee the progress of the Smart Summon feature and actively tracks user complaints.
The Smart Summon Feature Is Expected To Get Smarter
Overall, the Smart Summon feature has made a huge impact on the lives of Tesla owners, and for the most part, has proven beneficial. As for the evident crashes and allegations, we expect the next upgrade to improve the autopilot feature as the technology gets refined.
We expect the Smart Summon feature to only improve from here, with a capacity to cover more ground and with fewer or no technical hitches.