Remote intelligent summon is here, making it more convenient to pick up your car! Is Tesla’s new feature worth paying for?

On December 13th, Tesla officially launched the highly anticipated ASS (Actually Smart Summon) advanced intelligent summon feature in the Chinese market. This feature enables car owners to remotely summon their vehicles via the Tesla mobile app. The vehicle can autonomously pull out of the parking space and drive to the designated location.

Imagine this: “You’re standing at the entrance of a shopping mall with several heavy bags in your hands. Open the app and press ‘COME TO ME’, and your Tesla will smoothly drive through the traffic and stop right in front of you. Whether it’s a rainy day outing or grocery shopping, the intelligent summon feature seems to really understand what car owners want.”

Although this technology was launched in the North American market three months earlier, and many car owners have shared their perfect experiences with it. There are also American netizens who have filmed the ASS under the FSD 12.5.4 software version, making it seem that even a dog could operate it.

However, it has just been launched in China. Unfortunately, it’s not free and is probably quite expensive, around 30,000 yuan. Only car owners who trade in their old vehicles to purchase a Tesla can enjoy a 90-day free trial of the EAP (Enhanced Autopilot). Soon, netizens commented, “In the domestic market, which brand doesn’t have this feature? And which one doesn’t offer it for free?”

So the question is: Is this feature, which may cost as much as 30,000 yuan, really worth paying for?

1. What is the ASS feature?
The Tesla ASS feature is applicable to vehicle models equipped with HW3.0 and AI4 chips, and requires the purchase of either the EAP (Enhanced Autopilot) or FSD (Full Self-Driving) package. The basic requirements for using this feature include: updating the Tesla mobile app to version 4.38.0 or higher; the vehicle needs to have firmware version 2024.44.100 or above installed. Car owners can remotely control the vehicle in the parking lot via the app, driving it from the parking space to their current location. In scenarios such as rainy days, shopping, or when having difficulty moving around, it saves car owners the trouble of looking for their vehicles in the parking lot.

2. Usage methods and scenarios
According to the usage methods shared by foreign bloggers:
Usage methods:
– Open the Tesla app and click on the Summon tab to get the real-time footage from the vehicle’s cameras.
– Press and hold the “COME TO ME” button: to make Tesla come to you.
– Press and hold the “GO TO TARGET” button: Set the destination where you want Tesla to go, and then press and hold this button to make it keep moving forward.
Regarding usage scenarios, the following daily life scenarios might illustrate it more vividly:
“During the rush hour after work, you’re standing at the exit of the parking lot. Open the Tesla app, and the vehicle will automatically drive over from a distance. There’s no need to look for the parking space or move the vehicle around. This is the charm of Tesla’s intelligent summon feature.
However, the prerequisite is that the lighting in the parking lot should be good, the signal should be strong, and it’s best not to use it in crowded public places. Otherwise, the situation where ‘even a dog could operate it’ might actually require your dog to handle it.”

(Images are sourced from the Internet)

3. Solving pain points
The core value of the ASS feature lies in solving the “last mile” problem in parking lots. For example, at the exits of shopping malls or supermarkets, car owners can directly summon their vehicles to the entrance without having to push shopping carts across the parking lot. It also prevents car owners from having to run to their vehicles in the rain, as the vehicle will主动开到遮雨位置. However, it has relatively high requirements for signals and positioning, and some underground parking lots may not be able to operate smoothly. Moreover, when actually operating it, users need to pay close attention to the surrounding environment.

4. Is it worth it?
Tesla is not the only brand that offers the intelligent summon feature in China. Many domestic brands also provide this function, such as Huawei’s intelligent driving system, which can be used in both ground and underground parking lots or parking garages. Tesla seems to only support ground parking lots in North America, and it’s not clear whether this issue has been improved in China. Supporters believe that the ASS feature enhances the convenience of daily life, especially for high-end car owners, and the cost of tens of thousands of yuan is an acceptable “intelligent premium”. Opponents think that the price is too high and that the existing function is more like a “show-off” rather than a necessity, especially since other domestic vehicle models offer it for free.

Some people may say that it’s a symbol of future technology, while others think it’s just spending money on showing off. So, is the intelligent summon feature worth tens of thousands of yuan?

Tesla’s ASS feature is undoubtedly an important milestone in intelligent driving technology. However, whether it can gain user approval between the claim that “even a dog could operate it” and the “feature that costs tens of thousands of yuan” depends on users’ choices.

If you already own a Tesla, would you spend tens of thousands of yuan to purchase the intelligent summon feature? Leave a message and tell us your choice!