Tesla's New Autopilot V10 'Smart Summon' Valet Is Failing Hard In The Real World
The feature reportedly uses the smartphone GPS location of the owner as its target location. However, video of some users testing the new feature has surfaced, and it looks as if Smart Summon is not quite ready for the public. One video from David F. Guajardo shows the man hit the button in the Tesla app to summon his car, and shortly after the Tesla gets hit by a Lexus that was backing out of a parking spot.
The video appears to show the Tesla had the right of way, but it didn't stop in time, and the Lexus backed into it. While the Lexus may have had the right of way, a human would have likely avoided that accident. This accident is interesting because a claim has been filed with the insurance company. The owner says that the insurance has all the evidence, including the videos that the Tesla onboard cameras recorded.
Soday 1 with V10 Smart Summon was working beautifully. But someone didn’t notice my M3 and made a front bumper damage. We will claim our insurances but who’s fault do you guys think it’ll be ? Should I present this videos ? @teslaownersSV @Model3Owners @LikeTeslaKim @TesLatino pic.twitter.com/fhSA78oD6C
— David F Guajardo (@DavidFe83802184) September 28, 2019
Another video shows Smart Summon activate and very nearly get into an accident when an SUV comes speeding into the parking lot from a side street. That accident was avoided, but narrowly. Another interesting video comes from a man testing if his Tesla would see him while using Smart Summon by walking in front of a moving car.
So, @elonmusk - My first test of Smart Summon didn't go so well. @Tesla #Tesla #Model3 pic.twitter.com/yC1oBWdq1I
— Roddie Hasan - راضي (@eiddor) September 28, 2019
The car does see him and stops when he walks in front of it at a distance. When he walks up close to it from the side, it stops, but stops late and then starts moving again before he is anywhere near out of the way. Tesla notes that using Smart Summon doesn't excuse the owner from responsibility. The automaker also notes you need to check the vehicle surroundings, have a line of sight, and be prepared to stop the car with the app.
Not surprisingly, a recent report found that Tesla Autopilot isn't as competent as a human driver.
