Connect with us

News

Tesla Smart Summon for upcoming V10 release ‘almost perfect,’ says Elon Musk

Tesla Model 3 demonstrating latest version of Smart Summon assessing curbs and parking lot composition changes. | Image: ALL Electric/YouTube

Published

on

Several video demonstrations of Tesla’s upcoming Smart Summon feature in action posted by Early Access Program (EAP) participants have shown a good deal of improvement in the feature, and CEO Elon Musk has now confirmed that it’s ‘almost perfect’ and ready for an EAP wide-release.

“Looking good. Smart summon is almost great. Drive-in theater mode, caraoke & Cuphead are awesome,” Musk replied to a question about the status of Tesla’s Version 10 firmware release on Twitter. “Merging code branches & one more QA-level release this week. Hopefully, EAP wide release week after.”

Tesla owners who’ve received the feature for testing thus far are part of a small group that will help work out most of the program bugs and suggest improvements. The larger EAP group comprises various owners who’ve enrolled on an invite-only basis and, more recently, now includes everyone who has purchased the Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite. However, there was some confusion about the different groups which Musk clarified last week when asked why FSD owners had not yet received the features published by other EAP participants. “Still too buggy to be in wide EAP. Requires more testing. Hopefully, going to wide EAP next week,” he explained.

One of the most recent iterations of Smart Summon featured a much more confident Autopilot navigating a parking lot at 4 mph without hesitations for shadows or driving surface irregularities. Vehicle steering is notably more precise and smooth than previous versions, and the center display shows turn-by-turn directions as soon as the Smart Summon sequence is started.

One noted quirk, though, was the preference to drive on the left hand side of the road despite right-side driving being the standard in the US where testing has taken place. Finally, after various names for the newest Summon have been used over the months during its development (Advanced Summon, Enhanced Summon, etc.), the name ‘Smart Summon’ now appears in the Tesla app as its official title.

The latest version of Smart Summon is included in software version 2019.28.3.11, which is an EAP-only release, as reported by Tesletter. Another video published by the site shows a Tesla Model 3 reaching 6 mph during its parking lot navigation, perhaps indicating certain differences in the software releases even among the smaller EAP groups.

Advertisement

The all-electric car’s choice of route to its summoned location was an area for improvement in that video as well. Since this seems to be the primary critique of Smart Summon, it will be interesting to see what improvements are made in the next release referred to by Musk.

Watch Tesletter‘s published video of Smart Summon’s confident 6 mph navigation below:

Advertisement

Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout

X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

Published

on

Credit: UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month. 

The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.

As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform. 

The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

Advertisement

Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.

Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.

Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.

“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.

Advertisement

To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Cybercab display highlights interior wizardry in the small two-seater

Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Robotaxi/X

The Tesla Cybercab is currently on display at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., and observations of the production vehicle are highlighting some of its notable design details. 

Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.

Observers of the Cybercab display unit noted that the two-seat Robotaxi provides unusually generous legroom for a vehicle of its size. Based on the vehicle’s video, the compact two-seater appears to offer more legroom than Tesla’s larger vehicles such as the Model Y, Model X, and Cybertruck.

The Cybercab’s layout allows Tesla to dedicate nearly the entire cabin to passengers. The vehicle is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, which helps maximize interior space.

Advertisement

Footage from the display also highlights the Cybercab’s large center screen, which is positioned prominently in front of the passenger bench. The display appears intended to provide entertainment and ride information while the vehicle operates autonomously.

Images of the vehicle also show an additional camera integrated into the Cybercab’s C-pillar. The extra camera appears to expand the vehicle’s field of view, which would be useful as Tesla works toward fully unsupervised Full Self-Driving.

Tesla engineers have previously explained that the Cybercab was designed to be highly efficient both in manufacturing and in operation. Cybercab Lead Engineer Eric E. stated in 2024 that the Robotaxi would be built with roughly half the number of parts used in a Model 3 sedan.

“Two seats unlocks a lot of opportunity aerodynamically. It also means we cut the part count of Cybercab down by a substantial margin. We’re gonna be delivering a car that has roughly half the parts of Model 3 today,” the Tesla engineer said.

Advertisement

The Tesla engineer also noted that the Cybercab’s cargo area can accommodate multiple golf bags, two carry-on suitcases, and two full-size checked bags. The trunk can also fit certain bicycles and a foldable wheelchair depending on size, which is quite impressive for a small car like the Cybercab.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s xAI wins permit for power plant supporting AI data centers

The development was reported by CNBC, citing confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).

Published

on

Mississippi regulators have approved a permit allowing Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI to construct a natural gas power plant in Southaven. The facility is expected to support the company’s expanding AI infrastructure tied to its Colossus data center operations near Memphis.

The development was reported by CNBC, citing confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).

According to the report, regulators “voted to approve the permit” of xAI subsidiary MZX Tech LLC to construct a power plant featuring 41 natural gas-burning turbines “after careful consideration of all public comments and community concerns.”

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality stated that the permit followed a regulatory review process that included public comments and community input. Jaricus Whitlock, air division chief for the MDEQ, stated that the project met all applicable environmental standards.

Advertisement

“The proposed PSD permit in front of the board today not only meets all state and federal permitting regulations, but goes above and beyond what is required by law. MDEQ and the EPA agree that not a single person around our facilities will be exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution,” Whitlock stated.

The planned facility will help provide electricity for xAI’s AI computing infrastructure in the Memphis region.

The Southaven project forms part of xAI’s efforts to scale computing capacity for its artificial intelligence systems.

The company currently operates two major data centers in Memphis, known as Colossus 1 and Colossus 2, which provide computing power for xAI’s Grok AI models. xAI is also planning to build another large data center in Southaven called Macrohardrr, which would be located in a warehouse previously used by GXO Logistics.

Advertisement

Large-scale AI training requires substantial computing power and electricity, prompting technology companies to develop dedicated energy infrastructure for their data centers.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell previously stated that xAI plans to develop 1.2 gigawatts of power capacity for its Memphis-area AI supercomputer site as part of the federal government’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The commitment was announced during an event with United States President Donald Trump.

“As part of today’s commitment, we will take extensive additional steps to continue to reduce the costs of electricity for our neighbors. xAI will therefore commit to develop 1.2 GW of power as our supercomputer’s primary power source. That will be for every additional data center as well. We will expand what is already the largest global Megapack power installation in the world,” Shotwell said.

“The installation will provide enough backup power to power the city of Memphis, and more than sufficient energy to power the town of Southaven, Mississippi where the data center resides. We will build new substations and invest in electrical infrastructure to provide stability to the area’s grid.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading