Tesla hints at 'Reverse Summon' being available this year

Tesla now mentions 'Park Seek' or what we know as reverse summon on its website

Tesla

Tesla's team of Autopilot engineers is validating significant advancements to Full Self Driving Beta, including parking lot improvements. While Smart Summon and Reverse Summon were not specifically mentioned during the 3.5-hour AI Day 2022 event, parking lots were discussed, and Elon Musk gave a timeline of when enhancements are expected.

Reverse Summon or 'Park Seek' as Tesla appears to be calling it, is the opposite of Smart Summon. Whereas Smart Summon drives to you from a parking spot, users who activate Reverse Summon would have their Tesla drop them off at a location, perhaps closest to the entrance of a mall, and then find a parking spot. This feature was described by Musk on July 1, 2020, when he gave it a two to a four-month timeline.

Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s director of the Autopilot program, started the FSD portion of AI Day, saying, “FSD beta software is quite capable of driving the car. It should be able to navigate from parking lot to parking lot, city street driving, stopping for traffic lights and stops signs, negotiating with objects at intersections, making turns and so on.”

Several team members described how FSD has advanced and soon will be an integrated stack, meaning one code base that includes everything the program needs to navigate the car in a parking lot or on a busy highway. Musk is currently using this new stack, “it works quite well for me, but we need to validate it in all kinds of weather, like heavy rain, snow, dust and make sure it is working better than the production stack across a wide range of environments.”

Paril Jain, the Manager of Autopilot Motion Planning, expanded on what else will be included in the integrated stack, “we do expect to also include the parking lot stack as a part of the FSD stack before the end of this year. So, that will basically bring us to you sitting in the car in the parking lot and drive till the end of the parking lot, at a parking spot, before the end of this year.”

It has been previously reported that Reverse Summon would have three different modes to find parking spots that the owner prefers. The methods would include closest to the entrance, nearby a cart return, and the end of the parking lot for those who like to avoid tight spots that cause door dings. Musk said that the integrated stack is on track for release before the end of the year and maybe as early as November.

Tesla has also updated it's website to reflect this news, although no timeframe is given. The Autopilot section of Tesla's site now has a section titled "To your Destination." The description reads "When you arrive at your destination, simply step out at the entrance and your car will enter park seek mode, automatically search for a spot and park itself. A tap on your phone summons it back to you."

Tesla Adds Steering Wheel Guides for All Wheels in FSD 12.5.2

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s latest FSD update, version 2024.27.5 brings some improvements when parking your vehicle. This is another undocumented, but one we’re happy to see.

Most recently, the Cybertruck received the undocumented change for the Hands-Free Frunk opening (video below). The Cybertruck also recently received Vision Park Assist, which included steering wheel guides in the visualization showing the direction the front and rear wheels were turned. However, it turns out this isn’t just for the Cybertruck.

Update: We’ve updated this article to mention that this feature isn’t included in update 2024.32 yet.

Quick video on the auto frunk. It's literally 🧍‍♂️📐

Works great! pic.twitter.com/QklzH5cRle

— Dirty Tesla (@DirtyTesLa) September 9, 2024

Parking Improvements

Due to the Cybertruck’s unique rear-wheel steering and steer-by-wire design, Park Assist in the Cybertruck displayed the path of the front wheels, and how they would swing while reversing.

This enhancement is also coming to every Tesla vehicle in FSD 12.5.2 and later. It’s also expected to be available in a future update for non-FSD vehicles. However, it’s unclear whether it will be a later revision of update 2024.32 or the next major Tesla update. This is a neat little update, as it helps drivers better understand and predict the path their vehicle will take during a turn.

Brandon, going by @teslaflexx on X, originally spotted the new visuals recently on an AMD-based Model Y running 2024.27.5 and FSD V12.5.2.

Any vehicles who are on update 2024.27.5 or 2024.27.20 should have access to this new feature.

Looks like Cybertruck wasn’t the only vehicle to get the new guide visuals with park assist. Much better than the lines! pic.twitter.com/tF9ZsWCcWy

— Brandon (@teslaflexx) September 8, 2024

Follow

Follow

Follow

Tesla to Sell Cybertruck Battery Armor and Rock Sliders for Cybertruck

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s Cybertruck has been used as an awesome off-road vehicle so far, with some great videos from both Tesla themselves, as well as many owners who have been challenging difficult off-road obstacles.

One frequently requested feature, however, is additional armor for the Cybertruck to improve its off-road capabilities. Wes Morril, Program Manager for the Cybertruck, has confirmed that Tesla will be introducing Battery Armor and Rock Sliders as retrofit “options” by the end of 2024.

Battery Armor

The Cybertruck’s underbody plate, while not completely unarmoured, isn’t exactly super thick, and can leave the battery exposed if the weight of the truck is left on a high-center point or a sharp rock. This upcoming battery armor will be similar to the armored undersides offered by other companies specifically for off-roading.

Rivian, for example, sells armor as a single package for $3,950 USD, or $5,800 CAD, along with a 20” wheel upgrade, full-size spare, and a utility panel including an air compressor and enough hose to let you reach any of the tires when airing up or down your tires for off-road. Tesla’s upcoming Battery Armor will be a retrofit option, unlike Rivian’s – which can only be added when purchasing the vehicle.

Rock Sliders

The Cybertruck has a simple and clean bottom corner – but that also means that it exposes the plastic trim directly. Rock sliders go on the bottom edge of off-road vehicles between the wheels to protect the vehicle's body. Rock sliders are a pretty common modification, and some companies have already begun to offer them for the Cybertruck – but a first-party OEM option is always best.

This is especially true since most third-party options use the lift points of the vehicle to attach rock sliders, which can make replacing wheels or lifting the vehicle difficult without removing the third-party additions. This adds considerable time to what should be a quick job.

Release Date

We’re looking forward to Tesla bringing these options to the Tesla store in the coming months. Wes said they’d be available as retrofits before the end of 2024, along with the upcoming Winter Tire Package, which is arriving next month. The Winter Tire Package is already available to order for Cybertruck owners.

Follow

Follow

Follow