Tesla Smart Summon Is Here But It Doesn't Look Ready For The Real World

The Smart Summon function that comes with Tesla's V10 software update is far from foolproof, as these videos show...

With the release of Tesla’s V10 over-the-air software update last week, the company’s much-anticipated Smart Summon feature has arrived. The only trouble is, unleashing such a function into the public world as a big beta test hasn’t gone entirely smoothly.

It’s undoubtedly impressive when it works, even if walking the last few dozen metres to where you parked your car doesn’t seem like a problem which was crying out for being solved. But only a few days on from V10’s release, social media is already littered with examples of the tech appearing to cause near-misses and accidents.

We see one Tesla almost pulling out on an SUV, two videos of cars that can’t seem to tell the difference between tarmac and grass, and a Model 3 hitting a reversing Lexus. In the case of the latter, you can’t help but think that a human behind the wheel would have spotted the reverse lights and stopped.

Tesla does say that users must have “clear line of sight” to the car and that “Those using Smart Summon must remain responsible for the car and monitor it and its surroundings at all times”. Although this does seem to contradict a Tweet from the company which states “Where have you parked your Tesla? But also, who cares?”

It had been thought that Tesla’s own promotional video showed a Summon-enabled vehicle going the wrong way around the company’s Freemont factory car park, although it has since been pointed out that this part of the facility is two-way.

The feature, which is available on any Tesla product fitted with ‘Full Self-Driving Capability’ or ‘Enhanced Autopilot’, can be used when you’re up to 60 metres away from the vehicle using the Tesla smartphone app. Pressing and holding the ‘Come To Me’ button will see the car start to drive to your location, although the car will stop as soon as you lift off. Alternatively, you can select another nearby location for the car to drive to with the ‘Come To Target’ mode.

Other, less controversial features in V10 include Tesla Theatre, which allows you to watch Netflix or live TV while in park, a game called ‘Cuphead’ which looks entertaining - if not as fun as on-demand farts - and I’m Feeling Lucky/I’m Feeling Hungry. The latter two will “lead you on an adventure to a local restaurant or point of interest that’s within your car’s range,” which you’ll be able to do while listening to some tunes on Spotify, thanks to V10 introducing the streaming service to Tesla models. Finally, there’s ‘Caraoke’, which does exactly what it says on the tin.

We’ve approached Tesla GB for further comment regarding Smart Summon’s apparent issues and are awaiting for a response.

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Comments

Anonymous

The only way a Tesla can have a V10

09/30/2019 - 12:06 |
68 | 0
Anonymous

Wonder how insurance company is going to react when a tesla damages other automobiles while its in “summon” mode with out any passengers aboard

09/30/2019 - 12:52 |
22 | 0
Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

The ‘operator’ is still responsible for the car, so I’d have thought it’d be treated the same as though they were driving. Will certainly be some interesting phone calls to insurers going on…

09/30/2019 - 12:58 |
14 | 0
Matthew Henderson

I’ll be honest, with that vid from David F Guajardo, that was the Lexus’ fault.

09/30/2019 - 14:30 |
0 | 2

Technically, the Lexus shouldn’t have kept going, but most people are ignorant and won’t stop, so you just learn to be vigilant and be ready to brake. Tesla is obviously not ready for autonomous driving if it can’t stop quickly enough for that.

09/30/2019 - 14:50 |
2 | 0

The Tesla should probably have right of way there, agreed, but that’s not the point - a human would have probably seen the reverse lights and stopped or proceeded with more caution

09/30/2019 - 16:09 |
6 | 2

I’m sorry for being “that guy” but it was a Acura MDX

10/01/2019 - 03:15 |
2 | 0
Tesla Smart Summon Is Here But It Doesn't Look Ready For The Real World
Straight6Unicorn95

I like tesla but this is really bad. I generally have mixed feelings about autopilot, i feel like the drivers relax too much. I’ve had a situation where i drove in front of a tesla and stopped due to traffic and the tesla driver did not seem to react to the stopped traffic at all and then did some sharp braking and apparently blamed me because he honked.. gotta assume he was day dreaming and the tesla autopilot stopped the car for him but last moment so he got scared and honked out of anger or something. People are just too lazy.. the feature is great but if i was running the company it would not be called autopilot and it would not be able to steer the car itself, instead it would be running in the background and interfering with the human driving only to avoid accidents..

09/30/2019 - 17:42 |
8 | 0
Anonymous

If anything it is only proving how inattentive drivers are these days

10/01/2019 - 04:16 |
4 | 0
JDub

Still don‘t get the point of this function. Why not walking to your car and enter like in the decades before?

10/01/2019 - 07:49 |
2 | 0
BL4CKF0X

In reply to by JDub

I suppose it’s only usefulness comes in edge-case scenarios where you either want to avoid getting in the rain or someone’s parking too close to your doors.

10/01/2019 - 11:07 |
0 | 0
Kenji (Oldsmobile Fan) (GoldWing Enthusiast) (wheel nut)

Me: can you pick me up?

My Tesla: Aight, I’m bouta head out drives away without me

10/02/2019 - 17:50 |
0 | 0
Luk9wow

dont you dare call a model 3 and m3

10/03/2019 - 13:56 |
4 | 0
Luk9wow

dont you dare call a model 3 an m3

10/03/2019 - 13:57 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Queue the frustrated drivers stuck behind a slow moving Tesla because the owner wants to play with his RC toy car……

10/03/2019 - 19:01 |
2 | 0