The vehicle’s supposed to come to the driver, but some are hitting posts and other cars along the way
- The U.S. NHTSA has opened a probe into Tesla’s Summon feature
- When activated, the system remotely drives the car to its owner
- Problem is, some of the cars are hitting things along the way
Tesla originally equipped the vehicles with Smart Summon, which allowed owners to move their vehicles in or out of parking spots, using their phones. Last September, that was replaced with Actually Smart Summon, which allows drivers to summon or move their vehicles to another location through an icon on the app.
The problem, according to NHTSA, is that the vehicles aren’t necessarily paying enough attention to what they’re doing, and so far, four of them have banged into posts or parked vehicles while performing Actually Smart Summon. One incident was reported directly to NHTSA, while the agency learned of the other three from media reports. There are also 12 reports of (not-Actually) Smart Summon hitting things it shouldn’t.
NHTSA said Tesla hasn’t reported any of the incidents under the agency’s Standing General Order for crashes involving automated driving systems, but it’s worth noting that order requires reporting of crashes “on publicly accessible roads,” and it doesn’t look like any of these were out on the street. Tesla says the feature should only be used on parking lots and driveways on private property “where the surrounding area is familiar and predictable.”
According to Tesla, in the Model S owner’s manual, the original Summon – now renamed “Dumb Summon” in light of the newer version – moves the vehicle “straight forward and reverse into, or out of, a parking spot.” Actually Smart Summon – abbreviated “ASS,” and no, we’re not making that up, that’s what’s in the manual – is designed to move the vehicle “to your location (using your phone’s GPS as a target destination) or to a location of your choice, maneuvering around and stopping for objects as necessary.”
Tesla also warns that “while Summon is active, it is recommended that you maintain clear line of sight between you and Model S. Closely monitor the vehicle and its surroundings at all times and familiarize yourself with the limitations and warnings.”
Actually Smart Summon works when vehicle and phone are within 85 metres (279 feet) of each other and the driver should “have a clear line of sight” to the vehicle. If the vehicle goes beyond that, its speed is limited to 5 km/h (3 mph). Past 100 metres (328 feet), the vehicle will pause; and beyond 105 metres (345 feet), it comes to a stop. Tesla says a vehicle using Actually Smart will steer around obstacles in its path — although it seems that isn’t always the case.
NHTSA’s report says the Actually Smart crashes included those where the operator didn’t have enough time to react due to vehicle proximity or line of sight. The preliminary evaluation will investigate the system’s operation and field performance, both in vehicles equipped with FSD or with free trial offers. The agency will evaluate the top speed a vehicle can reach when operating in Actually Smart; line of sight requirements; and whatever restrictions the automaker has for its use on public roads.
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