Tesla’s Head of Autopilot and AI, Ashok Elluswamy, has confirmed on X that legacy Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles will get Actually Smart Summon in Q4 2024. The end of Q4 2024 for Tesla would be approximately January 24th, 2025.
That’s still a few months away, but for legacy vehicle owners, it's still a sigh of relief – as there was nothing mentioned in the release notes, or anywhere in Tesla’s AI Roadmap of when and if legacy vehicles would be receiving these features.
Legacy Vehicles
These legacy vehicles, in particular, were vehicles before the refresh in 2021 but after the arrival of MCU2 (Intel) and Hardware 3. Legacy vehicles can be updated from MCU 1 (NVIDIA) to MCU 2 (Intel) and from HW 2.5 to HW3, so all vehicles after 2016 could gain access to Actually Smart Summon.
According to Greentheonly, the cameras in these vehicles are implemented differently than in other Tesla models, where raw camera feeds are supported. This makes it harder for Tesla to stream video from the vehicle’s cameras to the Tesla app, which Actually Smart Summon uses.
Sentry Mode Live Access
Legacy vehicles also don’t have access to Live Sentry Mode cameras – they can’t upload that data live to Tesla’s servers, and then off to the owner’s app. In order to get Actually Smart Summon functional on these legacy vehicles, Tesla will have to essentially implement Live Sentry Mode – which could be a big win for legacy vehicle owners.
Legacy Vehicles are missing more than just that, though. Due to hardware restrictions, different screen ratios, and more, they’re also missing additional features such as auto seat heaters and blind-spot/turn signal camera feeds. However, getting Sentry Mode Live Access would be a very welcomed feature if Tesla decided to add it with the addition of Actually Smart Summon.
It’s highly likely that all the camera rendering and upload pipeline is tied closely together with Actually Smart Summon, and that the lack of processing capability is the restricting condition for these vehicles.
Tesla’s first large-scale partner for the Tesla Semi - PepsiCo - is building out another Semi Megacharger site per a recent filing found by MarcoRP. Building out these Semi charging sites is expensive due to their much higher power output when compared to Superchargers.
Name Change
Interestingly enough, Tesla appears to have shifted its terminology recently, now often referring to the Semi’s high-power charging solution as Tesla Semi Chargers instead of the previously common "Megachargers." Regardless of the name, these chargers are crucial for the Semi. They’re designed to deliver 1.2 megawatts of charging power capable of adding hundreds of miles of range in roughly 30 minutes.
Frito-Lay Site
The new site detailed in the recent filing will be located at a Frito-Lay production plant on Hageman Road in Bakersfield, California. Permits were filed just a couple of days ago for the installation of eight Tesla Semi Charger stalls along with their associated electrical equipment.
This facility adds to PepsiCo's existing network of chargers, supporting the Tesla Semis operating out of their Sacramento facility, and highlights Bakersfield as the next expansion of the Semi’s operational area. Notably, this new Frito-Lay charging site is strategically located just five miles (approx. 8 km) away from a massive future public charging complex Tesla is planning on Kelton Way.
Kelton Way Charging Complex
Tesla’s planned charging complex in Bakersfield, which is just down the road, will feature 72 Supercharger stalls, as well as 18 Semi charger stalls. According to pre-permits filed last month, this site will be fairly large and accessible to both the public and Tesla’s partners.
A rendering of the Kelton Way site - with the Semi Chargers on the outside, and the Covered Supercharger site in the center.
@MarcoRPi1 on X
Tesla plans to develop a vacant plot right off the interstate into a large charging hub, which is now the second major public Semi Charger site we’ve heard about. For now, these sites will remain rare, but we expect that Tesla and its partners will be happy to expand them out further as required.
Carson Semi Charger Site
These Bakersfield developments – both the private Frito-Lay site and the large public Kelton Way hub will help lay out the necssary infrastructure for the Tesla Semi, much like the early days of Tesla’s Superchargers. Since Semi cannot be charged at a Supercharger site (the MCS plug is notably different than NACS), these sites are a must-have.
Tesla's first publicly accessible Semi Charger site planned near the Port of Long Beach in Carson, California, was one of the first signs of these types of Semi Charger facilities being established - and like Kelton Way, it also includes amenities for truck drivers. Tesla is also considering what long, medium, and short-haul truckers need for their stays at these sites.
As Tesla works to ramp up production of the Semi itself, the parallel expansion of dedicated, high-power charging infrastructure by both Tesla and its key partners are essential to making electric heavy-duty trucking a reality.
Taking delivery of a new Tesla is often described as a unique experience. It’s quite different from a traditional dealership model, where you can spend hours negotiating prices and loan rates.
While this efficiency appeals to many, it can sometimes be intimidating for first-time Tesla buyers, especially if they’re unfamiliar with how a Tesla works. Tesla often works to identify first-time customers in advance to offer in-person or online tutorials; however, this approach doesn’t always work well. Sometimes, the process can fall short, leaving people feeling overwhelmed.
The following tale of a delivery experience has a rough start, but Tesla has promised to improve the delivery experience. Let’s take a look at what happened and what Tesla plans to do.
Rough Start
Over on X, @jonbbc’s mother had some issues with her new Model Y Refresh delivery. It was a frustrating experience when she arrived early as a first-time Tesla owner at the Grand Rapids delivery center in Michigan.
According to the post, she received a less-than-warm welcome from the staff. She had asked for assistance with her first-ever Tesla, but staff at the site were unhelpful, suggesting she conduct her vehicle inspection alone and then return to sign the paperwork when ready.
This turned what should have been an exciting day into an overwhelming experience, leaving her feeling anxious and isolated. Eventually, a Tesla technician stepped in to help and acknowledged her disappointment, and worked with her to straighten things out. However, as it was rightly pointed out, staff should be more accommodating, especially when a first-time owner explicitly asks for help and identifies themselves as new to electric vehicles.
My mom was really nervous to accept delivery of her new Tesla Model Y today in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When she arrived 15 minutes early, none of the staff gave her a warm welcome. They wouldn’t even go out to the car with her. She was really disappointed & she became even more… pic.twitter.com/qlEfWQqr1W
The good news is that the story didn’t end there. Tesla employees reached back out to @jonbbc on X with apologies. More significantly, they also stated that Tesla plans to make changes to its mobile and web interfaces within the next two to three weeks, specifically aimed at improving the delivery experience for first-time EV and Tesla owners.
Tesla’s current process, as mentioned, aims for efficiency, and uses the Tesla app for documentation and processes. Tesla also has systems in place to support newcomers, but these systems appear to have failed in this specific case.
Clearly the pre-delivery offers of tutorials didn’t work, as some customers just need a more human touch to the entire experience. On top of that, the on-site staff failed to offer support even when asked explicitly, making the entire experience rather disappointing. While we know this isn’t the experience at every location - some locations even make delivery a rather exciting event with bows, placards, and group tutorials - it is still an issue that Tesla will have to address, given their corporate ownership of each location.
What Will Change?
The key takeaway here is that the inherent nature of the Tesla model does work - but not for every single customer, and not for every single delivery location. While Tesla didn’t say exactly what will change, they will likely focus on bridging this gap.
This will likely include clearer step-by-step guidance within the app and on the website for new owners, as well as easier ways to request dedicated staff assistance during the delivery window - hopefully before finalizing the acceptance procedure.
We’d also love to see Tesla improve pre-delivery communications, with more prominent and frequent offers of tutorials to first-time customers.
Even if Tesla just had a viewing area that walked people through some of the newer or most popular Tesla features, this could be a big improvement for some buyers. It would also give others something to watch while they want to be attended.
It’s good to see Tesla’s staff reach out to @jonbbc to address the issue, but this was done behind closed doors - which really doesn’t help Tesla broadcast its commitment to improving its services. Tesla’s lack of a PR team really makes matters such as this frustrating as the message to other customers isn’t always clear.
Hopefully these planned changes will lead to a smoother and less intimidating experience for first-time buyers across all locations.
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