OK, let's be real here. Has anyone--ANYONE--been able to use Smart Summon in more than one or two real situations? Ever? Sure, we have all managed to get it to work with some friends in some remote parking lot somewhere and everyone giggles. But has anyone actually been able to use it practically? So one time, about 18 months ago, I used it at a Lowes parking lot on a rainy day. It was sort of successful. Actually pretty amazing. And probably dangerous, but I do wish I could do that again. But other than that, it seems that every time I try to use it, I get some random error. Too far. Cameras vision blocked. It starts...it stops...it starts...it stops...I give up. I love my M3, but Smart Summon is a joke. Can anyone truly argue against that statement?
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Smart Summon is Useless?
- Thread starter dansev
- Start date
diplomat33
Average guy who loves autonomous vehicles
I agree. I stopped using smart summon. It serves no practical purpose and does not work well.
As currently defined by Elon, its now labeled "a party trick".
However, here is how it was advertised from the start, and still advertised when you go to pay Elon $$ for the feature:
"your parked car will come find you anywhere in a parking lot, and even park or unpark itself in tight spaces. Summon navigates complex parking situations while abiding by lane markings and stop signs, avoiding pedestrians and obstacles like traffic cones, trash bins and rogue shopping carts."
However, here is how it was advertised from the start, and still advertised when you go to pay Elon $$ for the feature:
"your parked car will come find you anywhere in a parking lot, and even park or unpark itself in tight spaces. Summon navigates complex parking situations while abiding by lane markings and stop signs, avoiding pedestrians and obstacles like traffic cones, trash bins and rogue shopping carts."
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I have never actually "used" it. I have only played with it in mostly empty parking lots a few times. There is no reason to endanger other people's life or properties with a toy feature. I am not made of sugar, so I would walk out to the rain to get my car if needed.
I did use "regular" summon a few times to back the car out from a tight parking space so we can get into the car easier.
I did use "regular" summon a few times to back the car out from a tight parking space so we can get into the car easier.
That is such a joke it’s incredible.
Like you, I've used smart summon a few times to impress friends. Had one time it backed out of the spot just as a family got out of their car. It stopped to wait for them, and the dad noticed no one was driving. His wife seemed like she was starting to panic, but the dad looked around and pointed at me next to the restaurant. They came over and asked a bunch of questions. I use basic summon and autopark every day as my garage is tight.
Correction. Here is the exact wording from Elon. Note, that this wording does NOT appear on the order page on Tesla.com.
“...mostly just a fun trick.”
I tried to use it several weeks ago when it was pouring down rain. It had a clear path to me, but pulled forward about 30 feet into the middle of a driveway in the parking lot and refused to move any farther. I'm hopeful it will improve once FSD technology is applied to it.
Also, when I did have it? I used it several times. Twice it pulled forward out of a end parking spot and started to turn too early once it exited the spot. Rear (21" Arachnids) passenger side wheel went up and on top of the curb, scraping the (previously flawless) wheel. This was after using smart summon successfully in that exact same parking spot previously. All conditions were the same in the successful uses and the up on the curb use. The excuse makers here said "thats normal, as sometimes there is regression in software updates pushed to the car. Just because summon worked in a situation before doesnt mean it will keep working successfully after updates".
Similar situation occurred at a Costco where I would park in a totally empty area and watch it like a hawk as it came towards me via Smart Summon. Worked fine maybe, 4 times. (Herky jerky along the way, but it made it). On another day, same position, I was in same place, daylight, no other cars, etc...it wanted to take a different path than before. Wanted to come underneath the drive up/pickup up area underneath the roof/awning area where there is a narrow lane to pick up your goods. (On previous summons it simply met me at the front of the costco, parallell to that lane Im talking about). On this 5th time, I had to stop the smart summon as the lower portion of the drivers side door was about to scrape the brick support column for the roof/awning type area as the car attempted to take that different path. Same "reason" was noted on this forum by certain shills: "yes, that's normal. Past performance of smart summon doesnt guarantee future successful performance, even under exact same conditions. The software will regress in certain aspects as updates are pushed". So just because you had success in a specific area/lot, etc one time? Cant expect it to be successful subsequent times. (Even though the software gets....better with each push...).
(I wish I was making these excuses up)
Similar situation occurred at a Costco where I would park in a totally empty area and watch it like a hawk as it came towards me via Smart Summon. Worked fine maybe, 4 times. (Herky jerky along the way, but it made it). On another day, same position, I was in same place, daylight, no other cars, etc...it wanted to take a different path than before. Wanted to come underneath the drive up/pickup up area underneath the roof/awning area where there is a narrow lane to pick up your goods. (On previous summons it simply met me at the front of the costco, parallell to that lane Im talking about). On this 5th time, I had to stop the smart summon as the lower portion of the drivers side door was about to scrape the brick support column for the roof/awning type area as the car attempted to take that different path. Same "reason" was noted on this forum by certain shills: "yes, that's normal. Past performance of smart summon doesnt guarantee future successful performance, even under exact same conditions. The software will regress in certain aspects as updates are pushed". So just because you had success in a specific area/lot, etc one time? Cant expect it to be successful subsequent times. (Even though the software gets....better with each push...).
(I wish I was making these excuses up)
I have used it to park in tight spots. One example is two cars parked such that my car blocks only their passengers' sides, but they leave not enough space for me to open my door. Then I back into the free space half way, exit from the car and remote-control the remaining half car-length.
The other, similar situation is that I park somewhere and other cars later park very close, such that it is difficult or even impossible to open my door wide enough to enter.
In one case an elderly woman squeezed her car into a narrow parking space next to my car and then found it rather difficult to open her door wide enough to exit conveniently. I could quickly and remotely pull my car out, so she could get out more easily, then I remotely parked my car into the same spot again. We went into the same shop, such that I could have repeated the operation, had she left the shop before me, but in that case I was out first. I guess after that the lady had a story to tell, which is good for Tesla.
Yet another situation is a tight parking space and a passenger. I could quickly pull the car half-way out of the parking spot to let both me and my passenger enter the car. (I customarily park backwards.) Actually in any tight parking spot it is easier to open the doors widely while the car is not fully parked.
When exiting a parking spot, it can be even more convenient to call the car out into a place where there is room all around.
I admit that these cases for Summon are infrequent, but I still miss the capability. I swapped my Model 3 for a new one and found that in a used Tesla FSD is not fairly priced in. So I cannot buy FSD again and again when I swap cars. There are other capabilities in FSD that I also miss, among them automated lane changes, NoA, and auto-park. As soon as Tesla keeps FSD with my account, rather than with the car, I will immediately buy it again. That could be a quite effective way for Tesla to keep customers in the brand.
The other, similar situation is that I park somewhere and other cars later park very close, such that it is difficult or even impossible to open my door wide enough to enter.
In one case an elderly woman squeezed her car into a narrow parking space next to my car and then found it rather difficult to open her door wide enough to exit conveniently. I could quickly and remotely pull my car out, so she could get out more easily, then I remotely parked my car into the same spot again. We went into the same shop, such that I could have repeated the operation, had she left the shop before me, but in that case I was out first. I guess after that the lady had a story to tell, which is good for Tesla.
Yet another situation is a tight parking space and a passenger. I could quickly pull the car half-way out of the parking spot to let both me and my passenger enter the car. (I customarily park backwards.) Actually in any tight parking spot it is easier to open the doors widely while the car is not fully parked.
When exiting a parking spot, it can be even more convenient to call the car out into a place where there is room all around.
I admit that these cases for Summon are infrequent, but I still miss the capability. I swapped my Model 3 for a new one and found that in a used Tesla FSD is not fairly priced in. So I cannot buy FSD again and again when I swap cars. There are other capabilities in FSD that I also miss, among them automated lane changes, NoA, and auto-park. As soon as Tesla keeps FSD with my account, rather than with the car, I will immediately buy it again. That could be a quite effective way for Tesla to keep customers in the brand.
Its a pattern and practice. Hence this. (and I suspect this wont be the last investigation)
California DMV accuses Tesla of falsely advertising Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features
DarkForest
10.69 made me a shill
I used smart summon once, and it was amazing and exactly what I needed at the time.
Since then, I’ve had plenty of times I wanted to use it (for practical purposes, not to impress anyone), and there was either a camera error, it couldn’t load, or the car was too far.
This feature would be amazing for people with small children and people with disabilities. It would be like always having your own accessible/handicapped parking space…. if it worked as advertised.
inb4 beta magically excuses false advertising
Since then, I’ve had plenty of times I wanted to use it (for practical purposes, not to impress anyone), and there was either a camera error, it couldn’t load, or the car was too far.
This feature would be amazing for people with small children and people with disabilities. It would be like always having your own accessible/handicapped parking space…. if it worked as advertised.
inb4 beta magically excuses false advertising
agreed - I have used regular summon many times, usually for tight parking spaces or returning to my car to find someone parked too close.
Also the occasional flooded parking lot.
Favorite use for regular summon is to send the car out of the garage into heavy rain, let it get soaked then bring it back in and dry it off for a cheap car wash.
I think I've used smart summon twice since it was released.
Memory may be faulty, but I'm sure I remember talk of smart summon getting the FSD stack. Development on the summon functionality specifically seems to be none existent recently, but using FSD would seem to be a good move.
Of course they have to get FSD "feature complete" first so I'm not holding my breath.
Also the occasional flooded parking lot.
Favorite use for regular summon is to send the car out of the garage into heavy rain, let it get soaked then bring it back in and dry it off for a cheap car wash.
I think I've used smart summon twice since it was released.
Memory may be faulty, but I'm sure I remember talk of smart summon getting the FSD stack. Development on the summon functionality specifically seems to be none existent recently, but using FSD would seem to be a good move.
Of course they have to get FSD "feature complete" first so I'm not holding my breath.
boonedocks
MS LR Blk/Blk 19”
One of my favorite statements @Elon has made was calling Smart Summon a “just a trick”. What $$$$ value does that have? Other than embarrassment if you try to show someone 
bradtem
Robocar consultant
It seems to me the ability to use even regular summon to park in a tight space is not that valuable. If the tight space is adjacent to other cars, you would block their doors unless they are also Teslas with summon. That would make them very angry and you would be like to return to a damaged car, sentry mode or not. So really you can only use it to get into a tight space where there is a wall on one side or both, like your own garage.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Probably nonsense. People like to make stuff up that is not true, with no evidence. I don’t know why.
I’m sure if there are ever big improvements to Smart Summon they’ll show up in the release notes.
Right now, of course it is useless. Even if it provides utility, the risk is far too great to make it worthwhile.
But it could be useful. My work often has me at a couple of school buildings at 5pm when the parking lot is empty. But because I often get there around 9am, well after all the teachers get there, my car is parked far away from the entrance. I’d love to summon the car to the front door on cold, windy or rainy days instead of walking across the lot. I mean, that’s basically what it’s designed for. And that’s not dangerous. But I can’t even do that!
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