Tesla Shows Off How They Monitor Their Supercharger Network

Tesla's Supercharger monitoring system

Not a Tesla App

Setting the pace in an industry defined by relentless innovation, Tesla has again taken a revolutionary step forward. This time to quell a long-standing concern amongst EV drivers: range anxiety.

Tesla revealed a video (shown below) of their unique Supercharger monitoring system, demonstrating how they utilize a specially developed app to track the status of charging stations around the world. The app serves as a vital instrument for managing the Supercharger network, featuring an interactive map that offers a comprehensive view of real-time Supercharger usage, effectively helping to pinpoint and address congestion.

This bird's-eye view can zoom in and out across regions, allowing Tesla's team to pinpoint congestion and effectively plan necessary adjustments. A striking demonstration of the application's efficiency is visible through its dynamic mapping features, providing a seamless overview of Supercharger usage in real time.

Tesla's Supercharger Monitoring System

In the video below, Tesla shares a peek at their Supercharger monitoring system.

Trip Planning and Intelligent Routing

The real magic, however, comes from integrating this real-time Supercharger information into Tesla's navigation system. When a driver inputs a destination, the car calculates the optimal route, identifying uncongested Superchargers along your route and calculating the faster way to your destination. It's like having your personal air traffic control system in your hand.

Tesla's Supercharger monitoring system

Not a Tesla App

This navigation system factors in real-time information from the Supercharger network, along with data such as initial battery pack temperature, forecasted wind speed, and direction. With all these parameters considered, Tesla can provide a highly accurate prediction of energy consumption for the journey ahead.

Beating Range Anxiety with Trip Planner

Tesla's innovative routing system takes charge management to the next level by ensuring you arrive at a charger with a fairly low state of charge, then juice up just enough to get you to the next selected Supercharger. This intelligent process maximizes efficiency and minimizes waiting times at charging stations, a masterstroke in the fight against range anxiety.

Tesla's engineers see this as not just a feature but a solution. "With the Trip Planner, we've solved range anxiety," says Matt, a Tesla System Engineer, in the video. Alejandro, his colleague, also emphasizes the unique interaction between the car, the route, and the forecasted driving conditions, all working in tandem to ensure efficient energy usage.

A New Era in EV Travel

Tesla's Supercharger monitoring system is not just an incremental improvement; it's a major stride in EV travel. By giving drivers a personalized, comprehensive view of their trip and managing charging times to reduce congestion and increase efficiency, Tesla has fundamentally changed the EV driving experience.

Range anxiety, once a crucial downside, is no longer an inherent part of owning an electric car. Tesla's advanced technology has turned it into a thing of the past, demonstrating that electric vehicles are not only a viable option but are set to become the norm in the future of personal transportation. The next time you plan a road trip, consider making it electric — with Tesla, you won't need to worry about running out of charge.

Tesla Is Now Offering Cybertruck Test Drives [List of Locations]

@brandonhd

Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.

Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.

It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.

Advisor-led Demo

This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.

Once FSD V12.5 comes to the Cybertruck, we’re sure they’ll be demoing its capabilities FSD capabilities as well.

Locations

The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.

• Manhasset, New York

• West Covina, California

• Los Angeles, California

• Houston, Texas

• Orlando, Florida

• Westmont, Illinois

• Tucson, Arizona

• Phoenix, Arizona

• Delaware

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Musk Confirms 'Actually Smart Summon' is Coming in a Revision of FSD V12.5

Not a Tesla App

Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.

Vision-based Improvements

ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.

Just recently, Tesla returned the Model X’s self-presenting doors, using Tesla Vision. Vision has seen some fantastic improvements, and many people are waiting for ASS to bring forth these improvements to Smart Summon.

Smart Summon Today

Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.

I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.

Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.

Actually Smart Summon

ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.

We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.

Park Seek and Banish Autopark

When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10^th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.

A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.

While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.

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