Tesla will soon release an improved version of Smart Summon
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Tesla's Smart Summon is nearing a significant upgrade. According to Elon Musk, Actually Smart Summon, yes, with the acronym ASS, is nearing completion. The CEO was asked if Full Self Driving (FSD) Version 11 would include the feature; Musk tweeted: Going without saying that we all want ASS (Actually Smart Summon) ASAP!!
Enhancing Smart Summon
He's right. ASS would change how many Tesla owners interact with their vehicles daily and move the brand further ahead of the competition. ASS would be an enhanced version of the Smart Summon that is currently available. By pressing the Summon button on the Tesla app, the vehicle will use the smartphone's GPS coordinates to find its driver. This feature has the potential to be a game changer for people who have to walk through cold, deserted parking lots late at night. It will help increase convenience as well as safety, however, it has a long way to go from its current implementation.
Smart Summon in Action
Is Park Seek Included?
It's unclear if the improved version of Smart Summon will just be an enhancement to what's available or if it will include Park Seek. It's been referred to as Reverse Summon for years, but now named Park Seek enables a Tesla to drop off its occupants, including the driver, and then go park all by itself. While the driver doesn't need to be in the vehicle while it finds a parking spot, they can pick preferred spaces. There will be three modes in Park Seek: closest to the entrance, near a cart return, and at the end of the parking lot.
Autopilot Team Believes its Program is Ready
Tesla's Autopilot team spoke in detail during A.I. Day 2022 about advancements in Full Self Driving, including navigating parking lots. A lot of the improvements came through developing a single stack, or one code base, to operate the car on highways, city streets and parking lots.
Tesla's director of the Autopilot program, Ashok Elluswamy, said, "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."
Paril Jain, the Manager of Autopilot Motion Planning, added timelines to the program "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."
FSD Version 11, with a single stack, started to roll out on November 11 at 11:11. Musk said it would take a few weeks before it goes to Beta and then a few more weeks before it goes for a wide release to the United States and Canada. If and when that happens, there will be more than 1 million FSD users. Those users will also be able to have their Tesla pick them up and drop them off.
Tesla introduced a wrap-around ambient lighting strip to its new Model 3
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If you look up ambient lights for Tesla, you'll see several ads for third-party light kits. Perhaps this is why Tesla added its own Ambient Lights feature to the new Model 3. So, let's get enlightened.
Tesla's ambient lights are thin light strips that are embedded in each of the vehicle's doors near the top edge. It also curves around the dashboard near the windshield, giving passengers a near 360-degree light effect.
Supported Models
Tesla new ambient light feature is available on the new Model 3 (2024+), and will be available on the Cybertruck in a similar manner. With a refresh ongoing for the Model Y, known as Juniper, it will likely also have ambient lights. That just leaves out the most luxurious flagship vehicles, the Model S and X, for now.
The Model S and Model X could be due for a minor refresh that would not only add ambient lighting, but also include a front-bumper camera that the Cybertruck has and the new Model 3 is expected to have in the near future.
Customization
Tesla introduced a wrap-around ambient lighting strip to its new Model 3
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The ambient light settings allow you to light up the interior in a color that reflects your mood or preference. Under Controls > Lights > Accent Lights, you are handed the freedom to choose virtually any color to adorn the interior of your Tesla.
You have control over whether the ambient lights are on, off, or set to an "Auto" setting, though not fully clarified, seems to promise intelligent lighting adjustments akin to our control over dome lights, offering a reduction in reflections during drives.
While the ability to control the brightness level seems missing, Tesla did include color presets, letting you curate a series of your favorite colors.
It should be noted that the changes are confined to the light strips on the doors and dash, steering clear of the footwell lights and other interior lighting.
Future Enhancements
With Tesla, we can be assured there will be enhancements to this feature in a future update. In fact, the Tesla community is already busy coming up with useful suggestions. Some owners thought Tesla should take advantage of the lighting to provide driver feedback, such as automatically changing the ambient lighting to a red hue when there's a vehicle in your blind spot. Tesla could also glow the light strip on a door if it's not closed properly, or use the lighting to provide feedback when Sentry Mode is enabled.
Other uses could be more fun, such as cycling the light through various colors when the 'Rainbow Road' easter egg is activated.
Ambient Lighting in Action
While the possibilities are endless and Tesla engineers will surely have fun coming up with creative uses for the feature, the biggest improvement we can hope for in the near future is the ability to adjust the light intensity.
Tesla's new Model 3 received a host of exterior and interior upgrades
Tesla
Tesla outdid itself with the refreshed Model 3, known as the Highland. Despite all the fantastic upgrades, something is missing - the Performance version or perhaps the Plaid. The letter "T" has shown up on vehicle certificates in Europe, and despite Elon Musk's sense of humor, it is unlikely this is a Mr. T reference.
Deciphering the 'T'
A new document shows the new Model 3 Performance will have a dual motor
eivissacopter / X
Diligent scrutiny of the European Type Certificate, issued by the Dutch vehicle authority RDW and shared on the TFF Forum, revealed a subtle yet pivotal alteration — including the letter 'T' in the eighth digit of the Model 3 Performance's VIN.
This seemingly minor detail, indicative of the vehicle's motor/drive unit type, sparked curiosity and speculation on the forum. Could it be a tri-motor setup to usher in a new Plaid version of the Model 3? This vehicle has already got endless amounts of zip, but three motors? May The Schwartz Be With You!
This could also explain the Model 3+ badging that was spotted during the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in China inspection of the refresh. However, the regulatory filings highlighted just two distinct variants of the car: a rear-wheel drive (RWD) with a 194 kW motor and an all-wheel drive (AWD) dual-motor setup that combines to deliver a formidable 331 kW of maximum power.
Initial conjectures leaned towards the possibility of a tri-motor setup, drawing parallels with the Plaid variants of the Model S and Model X. However, a deeper dive into the certification document clarified that the Model 3 Performance retained its Dual Motor setup, dispelling the possibility of a tri-motor upgrade.
Strategic Enhancements: A Glimpse into Potential Upgrades
Given the documented specifications, it becomes plausible that Tesla has strategically enhanced one of the dual motors, potentially aligning it with the advanced motor found in the Model S/X Plaid. This modification is poised to augment the top-end speed and acceleration of the Model 3 Performance, addressing its comparative limitations in extended races against traditional gas-powered supercars.
Meanwhile, the Model 3 refresh has become the new Bigfoot of the roads of North America, with rare sightings posted on social media. However, it appears the continent is excluded from the initial launch of the Model 3 Highland. Internal communications within Tesla suggest North American enthusiasts might have to exercise patience until 2024.
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