Lifestyle
Smart Summon is here! And so is the FUD. Should Tesla do anything about it?
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Tesla’s Smart Summon is out on beta release and, as expected from videos previously published by Early Access Program participants, it’s still learning how to be as amazing as it hopes to eventually be.
Hands down, the feature is ridiculously cool and (dare I say it) finally delivering on some of the sci-fi movie promises over the decades that dangled sans-human, self-driving cars in front of our imaginations. However, Smart Summon is also being birthed into a somewhat hostile media environment that has a vendetta against its maker, particularly its CEO. Perhaps a college psychology class could (or has already) taken a dive into why people like Elon Musk inspire so much detraction and (dare I say this as well) “fake news.” But, regardless of what causes the disease, the symptoms are what they are. Have a look at this NBC Today Show headline from a segment they did and published on YouTube:
“Tesla’s Smart Summon Feature Is Causing Parking Lot Chaos.”
I hate to be a whattabout-ist, but I could do a similar video every time Microsoft forces some sort of mandatory update to my Outlook email program. “But, that’s not the same as a car hitting a person!” one might cry. Au contraire, my friend. Whereas Smart Summon is a beta release and users are warned to monitor their car’s activity using the feature, i.e., the human in charge is ultimately responsible for any bad actions just as if they were behind the wheel, Microsoft’s updates are not beta releases and impact businesses, governments, and even emergency services worldwide. The old ‘follow the money’ phrase isn’t just for political foes. If Microsoft screws up someone’s ability to do their job, someone, somewhere, could be suffering.
Does this seem silly? I hope so, because it’s supposed to be silly.
You wouldn’t hold Microsoft responsible for a family’s financial difficulties because an administrator at an insurance company missed an email about their claim thanks to some update to their Outlook that screwed up their organizational system. So, then, why do the media try to hold Tesla (and Musk) responsible for a Smart Summon user that’s not paying attention and lets their car run into a curb or cross a street with active traffic, requiring emergency braking to avoid an accident?
Honestly, those in the Tesla community already know the answer. Aside from making sensational headlines (this is also common with Autopilot-involved accidents), there are interest groups and individuals who actively cheer Tesla’s failure. I can only understand (not condone) the groups that benefit from it financially in one way or another via Wall Street, but the rest is beyond me. Perhaps it’s political, and perhaps that’s just going to be something Tesla will always deal with as part of its politically-tied mission. For what it’s worth, I do understand politics, but I don’t understand cheering the collapse of something that consumers find desirable in the marketplace. But, I digress…
At the end of the day, one can fight against the Smart Summon headlines and become exhausted in the end, or one can focus on making the feature better. Which one can Tesla control? Which one can Tesla owners control? I think Gandhi is quoted a lot on this one – be the change you want to see in the world and so forth. Tesla’s community has a unique advantage in this problem, both because of how responsive Tesla is to its customers and via its frequent and unique over-the-air updates to its vehicle software.
Some Tesla drivers posting on Reddit have noted how huge amounts of data, to the tune of hundreds of megabytes and even gigabytes, have been uploaded to the company’s servers after using Smart Summon. Given that Smart Summon is in beta, this is a really good sign that Tesla is actively working to learn from as much data as it can as quickly as possible to improve the feature. As one part of the battle against negative headlines, if the feature merely fixes most of the indicated issues, there won’t be any issues to report.
Another set of comments I saw floating around on Reddit, other forums, and videos was whether Smart Summon should have communicative aspects while in beta to give a heads-up to other drivers and pedestrians to clear up any confusion in lieu of human driver language.
For instance, if a car stops for a pedestrian and the pedestrian isn’t sure of the car’s intentions, a human driver could wave them along. Not so with Smart Summon. There’s also the fear of a car moving without a driver that gives the impression it’s a runaway vehicle left in neutral gear. Some have suggested hazard lights be used while Smart Summon is activated, others have suggested specific noises or audio announcements. Non-verbal communication is tough, even for humans, so would updates like these help Smart Summon integrate better with humans that aren’t yet accustomed to autonomous cars? Personally, I know I pay attention to the loud beeps coming from a truck that’s reversing, but they are annoying albeit rare.
I’m not so sure overall, but I think it’s at least worth a try.
Elon Musk
Tesla ditches India after years of broken promises
Tesla has ditched its plans to build a factory in India after years of failed negotiations.
Tesla’s long-running effort to establish a manufacturing presence in India is officially over. India’s Minister of Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy confirmed on May 19, 2026 that Tesla has informed authorities it will not proceed with a manufacturing facility in the country.
Tesla first signaled serious interest in India around 2021, when it began hiring local staff and lobbying the Indian government for lower import tariffs. The ask was straightforward: reduce duties enough for Tesla to test the market with imported vehicles before committing capital to a local factory. India’s position was equally firm, with an ask of Tesla to commit to manufacturing first, then receive tariff relief. Neither side moved, and the talks quietly collapsed.
Tesla to open first India experience center in Mumbai on July 15
India had offered a policy that would reduce import duties from 110% down to 15% on EVs priced above $35,000, provided companies committed at least $500 million toward local manufacturing investment within three years. Tesla declined to participate. The tariff standoff was only part of the problem. Analysts pointed to significant gaps in India’s local supply chain, inadequate industrial infrastructure, and a mismatch between Tesla’s premium pricing and the purchasing power of India’s automotive market as additional factors that made the investment difficult to justify.
First signs of an unraveling relationship came in April 2024, when Musk abruptly cancelled a planned trip to India where he was set to meet Prime Minister Modi and announce Tesla’s market entry. By July 2024, Fortune reported that Tesla executives had stopped contacting Indian government officials entirely. The government at that point understood Tesla had capital constraints and no plans to invest.
The more fundamental issue is that Tesla’s existing factories are currently operating at approximately 60% capacity, making a commitment to building new manufacturing capacity in a new market difficult to defend to investors. Tesla will continue selling imported Model Y vehicles through its existing showrooms in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru, but local production is no longer part of the plan.
Elon Musk
Trump’s invite for Elon just reshuffled Tesla’s big Signature Delivery Event
Tesla rescheduled its final Model S farewell to May 20 after Musk joined Trump in China.
Tesla has rescheduled its Model S and Model X Signature Edition delivery event to Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after abruptly calling off the original May 12 celebration. The event will take place at Tesla’s factory at 45500 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont, California, the same location where the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. Invitees received a follow-up email asking them to reconfirm attendance and download a new QR code ticket, with Tesla noting that all travel and accommodation expenses remain the buyer’s responsibility.
The reason behind the original cancellation came into focus the same day it was announced. President Trump invited Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Meta to join his trip to China this week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The agenda covers trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, following weeks of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing over AI technology, sanctions, and rare earth exports. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all.”
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
The vehicles at the center of all this are the last Model S and Model X units Tesla will ever build. Priced at $159,420 each, the 250 Model S and 100 Model X Signature Edition units come finished in Garnet Red with a one-year no-resale agreement, giving Tesla right of first refusal if the owner decides to sell. As Teslarati reported, the Model S defined Tesla’s early identity as a serious luxury automaker, and the Fremont factory line that built it is now being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots.
Musk’s inclusion in the China delegation drew attention given his very public relationship with Trump, and the invitation signals the two have moved past and past grievances. Trump originally brought Musk on to lead the Department of Government Efficiency following his inauguration, and despite a sharp public dispute in mid-2025, the two have appeared together repeatedly in recent months. A seat on the China trip, the most diplomatically consequential visit of Trump’s current term, puts Musk back at the table on U.S. economic policy at a moment when Tesla’s China revenue remains one of the company’s most important financial pillars.
Lifestyle
Tesla Semi hauls fresh Cybercab batch as Robotaxi era takes hold
A Tesla Semi was filmed hauling Cybercab units out of Giga Texas for the first time.
A Tesla Semi loaded with Cybercab units was recently filmed leaving Gigafactory Texas, marking what appears to be the first documented delivery run of Tesla’s autonomous two-seater. The footage shows multiple Cybercabs secured on a flatbed trailer being hauled by a production Tesla Semi, a truck rated for a gross combination weight of 82,000 lbs. The location is consistent with Giga Texas in Austin, where Cybercab production has been ramping since February 2026.
The sighting follows a wave of Cybercab activity at the Austin facility. In late April, drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer spotted approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot, the largest concentration observed to date. Units being staged in an outbound lot is a standard pre-delivery step, and the Semi footage is the logical next frame in that sequence.
En route with @tesla_semi pic.twitter.com/ZfuOjaeLH1
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) May 7, 2026
This is not the first time Tesla has used its own Semi to move Tesla products. When the Semi was unveiled in 2017, Musk noted it would be used for Tesla’s own operations, and over the years Semi prototypes were spotted carrying cargo ranging from concrete weights to Tesla vehicles being delivered to consumers. In 2023, a Semi was photographed transporting a Cybertruck on a trailer ahead of that vehicle’s delivery launch.
The Cybercab itself was first revealed publicly at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where 20 pre-production units gave attendees rides around the studio lot. Musk stated at the event that Tesla intends to produce the Cybercab before 2027. The first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026, with Musk posting on X: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab.”
Tesla’s annual production goal is 2 million Cybercabs per year once multiple factories reach full design capacity, with the company targeting a price under $30,000 per unit. Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its robotaxi service to seven cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, building on the unsupervised service already running in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.
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