Tesla Model 3

Watch Tesla Smart Summon react to a runaway “shopping cart” in latest obstacle test

Credit: YouTube/Kevin Rooke

Published

5 years ago

December 15, 2019

Joey Klender

Tesla Model 3 owner and electric car enthusiast Kevin Rooke performed an experiment with Smart Summon, showcasing its ability to react to moving obstacles in a simulated runaway shopping cart test.

Rooke performed a separate Smart Summon test in mid-November, where he put the software through its paces with an intense trap that would summon the vehicle into a river.

While Rooke noted his first test as helpful in terms of teaching him how well the Summon software works, he wanted to take it a step further. “I went back for another round of testing, I brought a bunch more objects with me, but this time, I had a twist,” Rooke said. “I wanted to see how a Tesla might react when the objects presented in front of it, all these obstacles, were moving.”

In the latest test, Rooke built a makeshift shopping cart with a skateboard on top of a laundry basket. Rooke used Summon’s “GO TO TARGET” button to have his Model 3 move in a straight line. While it was moving, he pushed the shopping cart in front of the vehicle. His Model 3 successfully recognized the approaching obstacle as it came closer to the driver’s side front quarter panel. In a second test of the shopping cart, the Model 3 once again successfully avoided the obstacle. It is safe to say that if this were a real shopping cart in a grocery store parking lot, colliding with it would do some cosmetic damage to the car’s exterior. Summon’s ability to avoid this object is beneficial for Tesla owners as it could save money in the event of a freely-rolling shopping cart.

The next test was a series of long, cylindrical balloons that resembled a tree branch. Rooke attached these to a string and stood far away from the car. As the Summon operated Model 3 recognized these balloons, it stopped with plenty of room to spare.

The more interesting tests were with basketballs and soccer balls. “We are going to do two tests, a bounce test…and then we’re just going to do a rolling test afterward to see what the sensors pick up,” Rooke said. The car did not recognize the basketball on the first bouncing test, but did see it on the second attempt. While the car made contact with the basketball, it did successfully stop immediately afterward.

The rolling test of the basketball proved to be where Summon is in need of improvement. The vehicle’s sensors did not recognize the ball, ran over it, and popped it. Rooke subsequently tested other balls of smaller dimensions, but they yielded the same results.

Impressed by the performance of Summon when confronted with the shopping cart, Rooke shared some thoughts at the end of the video. “Smart Summon will stop for large obstacles that are moving even if they happen to come from the side of the car,” Rooke said. “If there is a rogue shopping cart in a mall parking lot, you do not want your car driving into it. You want your car to stop. That was the correct decision.” When talking about the basketball test however, Rooke certainly feels that a ball of that size should be recognized by the vehicle’s sensors, and it is evident Tesla could use some improvement in this category. “Imagine a toddler crawling behind a car or a small animal crossing in front of the path of the car. Those are things that you want the car to stop for and recognize,” he added.

Noting that the previous test did display that it recognized small pylons, it is not correct to assume the car’s sensors do not recognize them at all. It is more reasonable to assume that the feature just needs to be improved upon. Judging on Tesla’s frequent software updates, the company will likely confront these concerns and do what it can to fix them.

You can watch Kevin Rooke’s second Smart Summon test below.

Related Topics:Autopilot Featured Tesla Tesla Model 3 Tesla Summon Video

Joey Klender

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla ships software fix for Model 3 and Model Y power steering issue

Published

1 month ago

February 21, 2025

Joey Klender

Credit: Tesla

Tesla is shipping a software fix for 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that could potentially have a power steering issue.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) uses the term “recall” for the issue because, by definition, it is an “unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards.”

It is worth noting that the NHTSA does recognize that it is a software update on its official website with a new badge that it recently started placing on these types of fixes.

However, the power steering issue is being resolved through an Over-the-Air software update, which will not require physical service from Tesla, and will be fixed through an internet connection.

The issue is impacting an estimated 376,241 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating software prior to 2023.38.4. The NHTSA writes on its website that:

“The printed circuit board for the electronic power steering assist may experience an overstress condition, causing a loss of power steering assist when the vehicle reaches a stop and then accelerates again.”

The agencies 573 report continues:

“By design, if the overstress condition occurs while the vehicle is traveling above 0 MPH, steering efforts will not be affected, and a visual alert will illuminate. Once the vehicle speed reaches 0 MPH, a loss of EPAS may occur, and loss of EPAS will persist when the vehicle is driven above 0 MPH. Manual steering without EPAS remains available to the driver.”

As of January 10, Tesla says it has received 3,012 warranty claims and 570 field reports relating to the issue, but it is not aware of any accidents or deaths due to the problem.

Need accessories for your Tesla? Check out the Teslarati Marketplace:

Please email me with questions and comments at joey@teslarati.com. I’d love to chat! You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla Model 3 and Model Y attract most interest from luxury car buyers: study

Published

2 months ago

January 29, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla Asia/X

A new study from the online lending service marketplace LendingTree has put a spotlight on Tesla’s popularity among car buyers looking for a luxury vehicle. From January through November 2024, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 received the most loan inquiries from car buyers looking to acquire a luxury vehicle.

The study:

For its study, LendingTree analyzed over 1 million auto loan inquiries for passenger vehicles from January 1 to November 30, 2024.
To determine which luxury vehicles were most popular among car shoppers, LendingTree took a luxury vehicle make’s total number of queries and divided it by the total number of luxury vehicle queries during the study’s period.
Carfax’s “Complete Guide to Luxury Car Brands” was used to determine which car brands were considered luxury. Tesla is included in the list.

The Model Y and Model 3’s results:

As per LendingTree’s study, Tesla’s two mainstream vehicles attracted the top interest among car buyers looking to acquire a luxury car.
The Tesla Model Y claimed the top spot in the study, with 6.8% of luxury vehicle loan queries being centered on the best-selling all-electric crossover.
The Tesla Model 3 followed closely at 5.6%, which is quite impressive considering that the vehicle is a sedan.
Overall, Tesla was the study’s second most sought-after luxury brand after BMW, though this was partly due to the company’s significantly smaller vehicle lineup.
BMW captured 16.6% of luxury brand queries in the study, while Tesla captured 15.8%.
This means that Tesla beat out Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, which captured 12.0% and 11.1% of luxury brand inquiries, respectively.

Why it matters:

As per LendingTree, a good reason behind the popularity of the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 among luxury car buyers may be the vehicles’ reasonable price.
Despite Tesla being considered a luxury brand, the Model Y and Model 3 are priced very competitively.
The 2024 Model Y starts at a reasonable $44,990. The Model 3 is even more budget-friendly, praised by Kelley Blue Book as a “bargain among electric sedans” at its price.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla Model 3 is the most affordable car to run in the United States: study

Published

2 months ago

January 27, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla Asia/X

A study from Self Financial has determined that the Tesla Model 3 sedan is the most affordable car to run in the United States. Its sibling, the best-selling Model Y crossover also made it to the list.

This is quite impressive for Tesla’s two mainstream vehicles as the Model 3 and Model Y are both premium priced.

The analysis:

For its study, Self Financial considered the running costs of the 50 best-selling vehicles from 2022 to 2024 to find out how much it costs to run a car on average in the United States.
The study took into account the average annual costs for fuel or energy, maintenance, insurance, and fees and taxes of the United States’ best-selling vehicles, among other factors.
Based on the study’s results, it costs an average of $6,462 per year to run one of the United States’ best-selling vehicles.
Fuel costs tend to be the largest expense, comprising 34.8% of all annual running costs in the study.
On average, $2,246 is spent on fuel or energy costs; $1,633 is spent on maintenance costs; $1,763 is spent on car insurance; and $820 is spent on annual fees and taxes.

Tesla’s results:

Self Financial found that the Tesla Model 3 is the most affordable car to run in the United States, with an annual running cost of $5,061.
The annual energy costs of the Tesla Model 3 were the lowest in the study at just $636 per year. That’s 71.68% lower than the study average of $2,246.
The annual maintenance costs of the Model 3 were also the lowest of all the cars that were analyzed in the study, at just $1,143. That’s 30% below the study average of $1,633.
The Tesla Model 3 would have been even cheaper to run, but the vehicle was the study’s 3rd most expensive car to insure at $2,241 per year.
The Model 3’s annual fees and taxes were also higher than the study average at $1,041 per year.
The Tesla Model Y was the study’s 7th most affordable car to run, with an annual fuel cost of $708, annual maintenance of $1,339, annual insurance cost of $2,399, and annual fees and taxes of $947.

Self Financial’s other findings:

A look at the results of the other vehicles in the study highlights the low running and maintenance costs of Tesla’s two mainstream vehicles.
Most of the vehicles in the list were notably more affordable than the Model 3 and Model Y, such as the Hyundai Elantra, which was the second most affordable car to run in the United States.
For context, the Hyundai Elantra, a budget-friendly sedan, had an annual fuel cost of $1,615, annual maintenance cost of $1,435, annual insurance cost of $1,547, and annual fees and taxes of just $508.