'Total Fail!': Drivers Fear New Tesla 'Smart Summon' Feature Is Not Yet Road-Ready
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Tesla is rolling out a new technology called Enhanced Summon that allows Teslas to pick up their drivers.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk boasted in a tweet that the "Smart Summon" feature had been used over 550,000 times in the first few days it was available.
However, the new feature was not always successful. Tesla owners shared videos on social media of their vehicles freezing up, seemingly overwhelmed by the number of potential obstacles in their path.
The vehicles were also seen driving on the wrong side of the road and cutting through groups of parked cars to reach their owners.
"It is not quite ready yet. It is not safe for the regular person on the road," said San Jose State engineering professor Fred Barez.
Barez said the new feature is yet another example of Tesla beta testing its technology on the public.
"You might be able to do this on your own campus. You might be able to do this at a deserted location, but if you're talking about a parking lot at a big shopping mall, I think you're playing with danger," said Barez.
Tesla owners blasted the technology on social media. One person wrote, "The @Tesla Enhanced Summons drives on the wrong side of the road the whole time...total fail!"
Another wrote, "#Enhanced Summons failed...drove into the parking structure pole."
Some drivers said that the company should pump the brakes on technology that doesn't seem ready just yet.
The California DMV said that, because the new summon feature does not represent a fully self-driving car, Tesla did not need nor receive any special permission to implement it.
Tesla did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
