Tesla’s long-awaited “Smart Summon” feature has been a subject of anticipation and speculation since Elon Musk’s initial promises in 2022. Despite repeated delays and setbacks, recent developments suggest that the company is inching closer to realizing this highly anticipated capability.
Tesla’s unwavering belief in the potential of camera-based autonomous driving, as exemplified by its Tesla Vision system, has been a cornerstone of its development strategy. While challenges and limitations have been acknowledged, the progress made in Full Self-Driving technology has bolstered confidence in the viability of this approach.
A critical hurdle in the development of Smart Summon has been the inability of the system to execute reverse maneuvers, a fundamental requirement for autonomous parking. However, a breakthrough appears imminent with the planned integration of Smart Summon and FSD codes.
This convergence will equip the system with the necessary capabilities to go around in reverse, bringing Tesla significantly closer to its ambitious “Banish” feature. Envisioned as a fully autonomous parking solution, “Banish” would allow owners to remotely command their vehicles to self-park, potentially revolutionizing the parking experience.
While challenges persist, the trajectory of Tesla’s development efforts suggests that the realization of Smart Summon and Banish may be within reach. The successful integration of camera-based technology for autonomous driving and the imminent ability to execute reverse maneuvers represents substantial progress toward Tesla’s vision of a future where vehicles autonomously handle complex tasks like parking.
Tesla’s dream of a car that can autonomously maneuver in and out of parking spaces, a feature Elon Musk jokingly dubbed “Actually Smart Summon” (ASS) in 2022, seems closer to reality. This technology, repeatedly described as imminent, has been elusive despite Musk’s pronouncements in April.
The current silence from Tesla suggests they might not be fully confident about releasing it widely just yet. While specifics are under wraps, recent updates to the Tesla app might offer some insights. The code introduced in version 4.36.0 lays the groundwork for Smart Summon functionality.
However, limitations are also present, potentially restricting ASS usage in certain scenarios. This cautious approach indicates Tesla is still ironing out the technology and might adopt a phased rollout strategy, launching with a limited feature set initially. This mirrors the release of Tesla’s Vision Autopark feature, which was preceded by a Tesla app update that offered compatibility for the new function.
