Summon feature question for those of you who have other Teslas

[HaulingAss]

It was pouring rain the other night when we left a restaurant. My partner met me there after work with her X. She never uses ASS so I proudly took her phone and summoned her car. It turned on the lights and wipers and carefully backed out of the spot and turned to crank the wheel and go forward. And then it stopped due to the horrendous rain and wouldn’t budge. I finally had to sprint over and get it manually for her before then running to my Beast.

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[HaulingAss]

Wow, thanks for sharing your stories everyone. It definitely doesn't seem to be able to used confidently for practical purposes.

I've used it twice in my Model 3 for practical purposes (and numerous times for shits and giggles).

One time when I returned to my car portions of the parking lot were flooded and my car was in the middle of a huge puddle. I just backed it out so I didn't have to wade through the puddle.

Another time someone parked right up against my driver's side. The door wouldn't open far enough to get in. I thought I was going to have to climb over the center console (which is no small feat for someone 6'-04" and 60 years old). Then I remembered I could just summon it out of the parking space. Worked perfectly. Summon for the win!

Try that in your BMW!

 

[Gaximus]

ASS isn't something practical. It's like light show, where you use it, in controlled environments, to impress people.

There have been a ton of other cars hit, curbs hit, etc. with ASS and it will just stop and then you have to run to your car because it's blocking the lane.

Fun party trick, but not useful until it is combined with the FSD stack, IMO.

But it could be. Image if you drove up to the store, got out and it just drove to the back of the parking lot. Then it kept an eye on you with the app and gps, saw when you where headed to the front of the store, and was 10 seconds away when you came out. All very doable. It could even have a shortcut, or button in the app to come get you. Not the current, get out the app, go to sommons, wait for it to connect then try and hold the button watching the car at the same time.

 

[That Beast Mode]

Ive used ASS in model Y and its slightly more practical than a neat party trick. When it does successfully work, It takes about as long to come to you as it would to just walk to the car, and when it stops in the middle of the road and you ultimately have to go get it anyway, its a little embarrassing. Im sure it will get better…

i can see the utility of pulling the car out of a tight spot to get easier access to the doors, but again, then you're blocking the road.

dumb summon “come to me” is dangerous and i do not recommend using it. It took out someone’s tail light because it cut the turn coming out of a parking spot too early.

Just curious if Tesla has any responsibility for something like this, with FSD you have to be supervising so it's your fault, but if summon hits something I don't think there is a way to prevent this is there?

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

It has worked 2 of the 7 times I've tried it. Even in ideal conditions, 150' away, one turn and straight to me, mostly empty parking lot, on a sunny day, it just couldn't figure out which way to go and just stuttered to a stop just outside the parking space. I've given up on it.

It certainly makes one wonder about Robotaxi.

 

[CybertruckPilot]

Party tricks, and pulling out when next vehicle too close to open door.
Sometimes failed, or took too long. Still kinda fun.

 

[JCERRN]

Just curious if Tesla has any responsibility for something like this, with FSD you have to be supervising so it's your fault, but if summon hits something I don't think there is a way to prevent this is there?

Nope tesla bares no liability technically. I think the warning still applies to summon as it is a part of autopilot.

 

[SamJoe]

Just curious if Tesla has any responsibility for something like this, with FSD you have to be supervising so it's your fault, but if summon hits something I don't think there is a way to prevent this is there?

Yes, it only works if you are within 200-300 feet, within view, and the car only moves so long as you keep your finger on the button, so you are definitely controlling it. At any time, you can stop it by lifting your finger. The driver would definitely be responsible, not Tesla I think.

 

[riggster]

I almost never use it in my Y and am very careful when I do. I suspect I would try it in a downpour. I suspect I’ll use it just as much when I get it in my truck.

 

[dalton108]

Wow, thanks for sharing your stories everyone. It definitely doesn't seem to be able to used confidently for practical purposes.

I use summon frequently in my other Teslas and I’ll use it more in my CT. As I’ve said multiple times before, it’s mostly dumb summon stuff. The car has been positioned too close to or too far from something, I don’t need to jump in it— my phone was already in my hand— scoot forward, scoot back, done! Game changing time saver.

But am what we used to call a “power user” of all the things. I am always looking for novel ways to use the tech and tools that I have and some people just aren’t that curious. [Or simply don’t find these things to be worth the effort.] I don’t know how many people actually adjust the suspension of their truck with their phone either. But every time I load up my trailer, I do. 100% of the time since we’ve gotten the feature my truck gets lowered, positioned under the ball receiver and lifted into place, all from my phone. I have barely touched a trailer jack crank since that feature dropped.

I use summon, probably at least once a week on one or more of our cars as outlined above. Smart summon where I actually have it come and get me? Well, I believe I would if I were the kind of person that didn’t plan so that I always have space to park exactly where I want to be i.e. right in front of whatever establishment I’m going to. I don’t use handicap stickers for this I just plan if I’m going to grocery shop which is normally not my job I do it very early in the morning nobody’s there, etc.

Other places I kind of am known for having a weird good parking spot juju. People riding with me friends and family coworkers comment on it all the time. There is one place that I do use summon pretty regularly though, if I’m there— the country club. There really isn’t any parking where you want to be, it’s all kind of down the hill (40 yards or more away) from the portico entry so when I’m there, I actually use summon and it works amazingly well.

I can say that I have never had smart summon fail me on the rare and limited scenarios under which I use it. But I use dumb summon all the time it is a feature that I think is worthwhile and if people thought about it they would use it more. As soon as my car is able to banish itself and is able to wisely select parking spots I’ll be all over that too.

 

[That Beast Mode]

Nope tesla bares no liability technically. I think the warning still applies to summon as it is a part of autopilot.

But how? You are physically unable to take over and recover. You're not in the vehicle. I'm asking because I don't have summon on either vehicle so I don't know how it works.

 

[That Beast Mode]

Yes, it only works if you are within 200-300 feet, within view, and the car only moves so long as you keep your finger on the button, so you are definitely controlling it. At any time, you can stop it by lifting your finger. The driver would definitely be responsible, not Tesla I think.

Ohh, this is the same for smart summon? I thought this was dumb summon only.

 

[BlueLightning]

Never used it, get your steps in!

Don’t trust it anyways, have to correct Supervise FSD all the time and it errors out on the road at least five times each trip.

Also so do not know who would be at fault if it wrecked or ran someone over during its own summon trip.

The real test…like mentioned picking you up at mall with bags, probably too far?!

 

[koolio]

Wow, thanks for sharing your stories everyone. It definitely doesn't seem to be able to used confidently for practical purposes.

My wife has an AI4 Model 3 with FSD and ASS. I've used it on my wife's a handful of times and it's worked well for me 90% of the time. The most impressive was using it at a super busy Costco parking lot. It perfectly pulled up to the front.

The drawback is the 250 foot radius, it's way too small as there have been times when I wanted to summon it but only to find out we were at 275 or 300 feet.

My wife: yeah, she's never used it. Doesn't trust it / too nervous it'll hit something and also she can just walk to the car faster.

I want ASS for Cybertruck (and agree that when it gets powered by FSD, that's when it'll really be useful) but realistically in it's current implementation, I'd only use it a few times a year.

One thing I will say: ASS is MILES BETTER than the original Summon. The OG summon was not reliable bc it was too cautious and would easily just abort in a busy parking lot.

 

[JCERRN]

But how? You are physically unable to take over and recover. You're not in the vehicle. I'm asking because I don't have summon on either vehicle so I don't know how it works.

This is from the midel 3 owner manual:

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