The Long-Awaited Arrival of Tesla’s S3XY ASS Features

Tesla’s timeline for its ‘Actually Smart Summon’ (ASS) feature has been the automotive equivalent of chasing a mirage. We’ve been promised this futuristic marvel—which is nothing short of a tech-savvy Jeeves valet—for ages with a series anticipated launch dates, followed by a series of delayed launch dates, followed by… April 2024 anyone?  But now, thanks to some clever decoding by GreenTheOnly, it appears Tesla is actually beginning to put this dream in motion…

Like for real this time. (We think)

For those outside the loop, the Actually Smart Summon feature allows Tesla owners to move their vehicles autonomously within a parking lot, utilizing the driver’s phone GPS as a target and vision sensors to navigate and maneuver around obstacles. The feature is designed to help retrieve cars from tight parking spots, navigate around puddles, or assist when carrying packages. Initially known as Enhanced Summon, the feature’s name has been updated to Smart Summon, reflecting its ongoing development.

Wait, couldn’t a Tesla do this already?

Well, when Tesla transitioned to a vision-only system in 2022, the move basically hit the reset button on their advanced driver assist features. Ultrasonic sensors were ditched in favor of the current vision models, and with them, Enhanced Summon and Autopark took an unexpected hiatus.

However, a recent software update (2024.8) rolled out to Tesla’s Early Access Program members reveals the code for launching these new features is presently embedded. Now we just have to wait for corporate to give the green light. As Tesla prepares to roll out these improvements, they’re promising something more impressive than ever, with intuitive features like High Fidelity Park Assist and ‘Tap to Park,’ which aims to make parking as easy as pressing a button.

According to early reports, the vehicle now responds more confidently and accurately, avoiding issues such as confusion with shadows that plagued earlier versions. The interface on the Tesla mobile app has also been upgraded, now displaying the exact route the vehicle will take and its speed while engaged in that mesmerizing ASS sequence which is truly a sight to behold. Overall, these enhancements mark a significant step forward in Smart Summon’s development and bring it closer to widescale release.

As Tesla continues to refine these features in anticipation of the v10 software update, improvements to Smart Summon and other FSD functionalities are becoming increasingly apparent. The progress made in recent iterations brings Tesla closer to realizing its ambitious goals for autonomous driving technology. While the timeline for full feature deployment remains, well, fluid to say the least, the advancements showcased in these updates are a promising sign of what’s to come and will certainly play an integral role this October during the much-anticipated unveiling of the Tesla’s new Robotaxi.