Photo: u/Matt_NZ via Reddit
Tesla released Smart Summon about three years ago, but it has been nothing more than a party trick ever since. Even Tesla die-hards avoid using it, although it is still an impressive feature for those new to Tesla. An older gentleman watches in awe as the car drives itself through the parking lot.
Along with the Full Self-Driving system, Tesla Smart Summon is one of those features guaranteed to make a powerful impression on people who see it for the first time. But whereas FSD has evolved to become a useful feature, Smart Summon has never graduated past the party trick stage. The reasons are many, as even die-hard Tesla users admit. Among them is the fact that it often fails, making a fool out of the guy who wanted to show off.
But for the few times it works, Smart Summon can be very useful, possibly saving the owner a walk in the dark in unsafe areas. One Tesla owner in New Zealand used it precisely in such a situation, especially as puddles were all around. Although he admits he doesn’t use the feature that much, he took the plunge this time, as the parking was mostly empty. Luckily, the smart feature worked as advertised, leaving an older gentleman bewildered after seeing the car moving without anyone behind the wheel.
“I don’t often use Smart Summon as it’s often more of a nuisance for others in the car park, but on this evening, the car park was relatively quiet,” user u/Matt_NZ wrote in the r/TeslaMotors subreddit. “I waited for a few people to finish leaving just to make sure my car wouldn’t get in the way. As it trundled across the car park, this guy happened to cross paths with it and resulted in a genuine double take when he noticed that there was no one driving it.”
Although the gentleman in the video looks impressed, the actual Tesla owners are appalled. Many say the function is embarrassing as it often stops and gives up, prompting owners to scramble to the car’s location. The Smart Summon also doesn’t seem to work in the rain due to poor visibility, which removes one of its main selling points. As one user puts it, the old gentleman was probably perplexed seeing that the feature actually worked.
But for the few times it works, Smart Summon can be very useful, possibly saving the owner a walk in the dark in unsafe areas. One Tesla owner in New Zealand used it precisely in such a situation, especially as puddles were all around. Although he admits he doesn’t use the feature that much, he took the plunge this time, as the parking was mostly empty. Luckily, the smart feature worked as advertised, leaving an older gentleman bewildered after seeing the car moving without anyone behind the wheel.
“I don’t often use Smart Summon as it’s often more of a nuisance for others in the car park, but on this evening, the car park was relatively quiet,” user u/Matt_NZ wrote in the r/TeslaMotors subreddit. “I waited for a few people to finish leaving just to make sure my car wouldn’t get in the way. As it trundled across the car park, this guy happened to cross paths with it and resulted in a genuine double take when he noticed that there was no one driving it.”
Although the gentleman in the video looks impressed, the actual Tesla owners are appalled. Many say the function is embarrassing as it often stops and gives up, prompting owners to scramble to the car’s location. The Smart Summon also doesn’t seem to work in the rain due to poor visibility, which removes one of its main selling points. As one user puts it, the old gentleman was probably perplexed seeing that the feature actually worked.
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