Tesla rolled out Actually Smart Summon in September 2024, an autonomous driving feature it has promised since 2022. However, despite this being the closest thing Tesla has to offer to autonomous driving, several users have reported crashing their cars. The NHTSA has now opened an investigation to see why Tesla ASS crashed at least 16 vehicles.
One of the coolest things Tesla EVs can do is navigate a parking lot autonomously to reach the owner following an app command. The feature has been offered since 2014, with Summon becoming part of the Autopilot suite. With the Tesla Full Self-Driving launch in 2019, the Summon function has been renamed Smart Summon to show its improved capabilities. It wasn't very smart, so Elon Musk promised an "actually-smart" Summon function in 2022.
Over the years, the Actually Smart Summon name stuck, mostly because of its acronym (ASS). People cheered when Tesla finally released it in September 2024, two years later than promised. Actually Smart Summon offers functions like Come to Me and Go to Target and can operate at a radius of 328 feet (100 meters). Considering that no driver has to be in the car, ASS is the closest thing to autonomous driving that Tesla is offering today.
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