When Tesla revealed the "Smart Summon" feature in September of 2019, the potential for automated parking was engineered into existence. Smart Summon is a Full Self-Driving feature that allows owners to bring their car to them using the mobile app. The feature is useful in helping owners safely summon their vehicle from tight spaces, especially narrow parking spots. While Tesla owners have had mixed reviews of Smart Summon, the convenience of this feature became abundantly clear in a viral 2020 video that shows a Tesla Model Y exiting a flooded parking spot with ease.
This video proved the practicality of the Smart Summon feature, which allowed the user to retrieve their Model Y in a sticky situation where access was obstructed by unforeseen weather conditions. Although Tesla’s current Smart Summon feature is a step in the right direction for fully automated parking, Tesla owners are more enthusiastic about Reverse Summon. Reverse Summon would allow an owner to get out of their vehicle at the entrance to a building and have the vehicle automatically find a parking spot and park itself.
When asked about the feature in March of 2020, Elon Musk responded: “We need to finish work on Autopilot core foundation code & 3D labelling, then functionality will happen quickly. Not long now.” A year later, Autopilot & 3D labelling have improved drastically but not much has been said about the new feature. New information from an unsubstantiated Reddit post reveals that we could see the Reverse Summon feature in an upcoming update very soon.
In the Reddit post, user u/110110 states that Tesla's "Reverse Summon" feature has supposedly been made available to engineers for testing, meaning it's getting closer to wide release. The insider also mentions that the feature would include parking options such as "closest to the door", "near cart returns", or "end of the parking lot". This makes Reverse Summon a much more dynamic feature than Smart Summon in that the user is able to pick how and where the vehicle is parked, based on their preference. Thus far, Tesla engineers’ reviews of the feature have been “quite good”. Based on this news, we could soon see reverse summon released as "Smart Park, or Self-Parking" later this year although the feature name and release date is yet to be officially confirmed.
While the Smart Summon feature is advantageous for retrieving a parked car, reverse summon could prove to be a more useful and practical use of the vehicle's full self-driving capabilities. This feature would enable the vehicle to find an appropriate parking spot for the owner which would effectively accomplish fully automated parking.
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Elon Musk and SpaceX have set some ambitious dates for the first Mars landing. Musk envisions launching the Starship toward Mars by late 2026—less than two years away. There won’t be any humans on board in the initial launches. Instead, Optimus will fill in for humans. Musk stated that human landings could follow as early as 2029 to 2031.
There are certain windows that make flights to Mars feasible for humans. So SpaceX is aiming for humans to be a part of the second or third Earth/Mars launch windows from now, which are 5 to 7 years away.
Tesla continues advancing Optimus, and SpaceX remains relentless. Another Starship test launch is in the books, all while maintaining their steady weekly cadence of Dragon missions to space.
Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus.
Civilization On Earth
Musk goes on to state something interesting in another post on X. He says that the key will be whether “Earth’s civilizational technology level will last long enough to ensure Mars can grow by itself, even if supply ships from Earth stop coming.”
The statement suggests two possibilities—that Earth’s civilization collapses or fails to advance enough to solve unforeseen challenges of sustaining life on Mars.
The key concern is whether humanity will remain technologically and industrially capable long enough to ensure that Mars can eventually become self-sufficient. If Earth’s civilization weakens, either due to collapse, stagnation, or regression, Mars might not get the support it needs to reach full independence—leading to the colony’s failure.
Tossing Optimus on board Starship is a smart move, instead of having smaller, single-task robots. Optimus also has the advantage of being upgradeable on Mars as long as the hardware holds up. It could be a lot like what we saw with Tesla vehicles, where the hardware was present for many years before the vehicle was capable of driving on city streets. Optimus’ capabilities will also improve over time, even if the hardware is older.
But, how does Elon Musk envision Optimus’ role on Mars?
The answer might be simple. SpaceX can leverage a fleet of Optimus robots to assemble shelters and infrastructure before humans even arrive.
Optimus is already highly capable, with precise hands adept at manipulating tools and objects. On Mars, it could construct basic habitats, set up survival systems, and even handle ice processing, water recycling, and food production.
These facilities will be absolutely essential for the first humans to comfortably settle in and begin work on expanding, maintaining, and preparing for proper human settlement.
Beyond construction, Optimus has a major advantage—it doesn’t need oxygen. Instead, mission planners would only need to monitor battery levels, wear and tear, and any potential damage.
That said, even humanoid robots face risks. Martian dust has long been an obstacle in space exploration, clogging solar panels, damaging equipment, and causing malfunctions. Tesla will need to redesign Optimus to withstand the harsh conditions. Its joints and components will need to be sealed against Mars’ relentless environment.
Starship
Mechazilla catching Starship7 Rocket Booster for the first time ever! 🚀 Incredible Achievement by @spacex
Starship, the largest rocket ever built, is immensely capable—but still in its early testing phases. SpaceX has dedicated hundreds of hours between each flight test, refining and improving with every launch. With several Super Heavy booster catches now under their belt, the next challenge is proving Starship itself can land.
Once SpaceX can launch, complete a mission, and safely land both the booster and Starship, the dream of reaching Mars may no longer seem so far-fetched.
With that, Happy 23rd Anniversary, SpaceX! We’re with you all the way as you push humanity toward the stars.
Happy 23rd Anniversary to @SpaceX! Founded on March 14, 2002, and still pushing the limits of what’s possible, here’s to the next chapter of making life multi-planetary! pic.twitter.com/mzvrdEagAn
According to Chinese blog posts from earlier last week, now vetted by Reuters, Tesla intends to produce a cut-down version of the Model Y, initially for the Chinese market, sometime in 2026.
This follows the launch of Tesla’s cut-down Model 3 for Mexico, as well as news that Tesla intends to launch their new next-gen model sometime in the near future.
Cut Down, But How?
The new Model Y, internally referred to as Project E41, is designed to lower the entry price of Tesla’s popular SUV—one of the most compelling options on the market due to its size, range, and versatility, especially following the launch of the refreshed Model Y.
To achieve this, Tesla is reportedly aiming to reduce the Model Y’s total cost by nearly 20%, according to reports from China. While exact changes remain unknown, we can make informed guesses based on the cost-saving measures Tesla implemented in the scaled-down Model 3 for Mexico.
Textile Seats and Trim
One of the most noticeable changes in the cost-cut version of the Model 3 in Mexico was the removal of vegan leather throughout the interior. In its place, Tesla opted for a durable textile fabric for the seats, reducing material costs. Additionally, any Alcantara trim pieces were replaced with the same textile in various areas.
No Heated or Cooled Seats
Another major cost-cutting measure was the removal of heated and cooled seats, along with the heated steering wheel. While these feature reductions may seem minor, eliminating them reduces various things, such as electrical components, harnesses, and ductwork that are required for seat ventilation.
No Rear Screen
One of the more unexpected changes in the reduced-cost Model 3 was the removal of the rear screen, despite it being powered by the same front infotainment computer as the front display. Given that the screen functions primarily as an additional display rather than a standalone system, the cost to include it is extremely low. It’s one of those really smart additions Tesla has added that increases value for the consumer with minimal cost to Tesla.
Tesla is unlikely to redesign or modify the vehicle’s wiring harness for this change, meaning a rear screen could potentially be retrofitted later by the customer. Based on replacement part estimates, the screen likely costs Tesla between $5 and $20 per vehicle, which acts as a secondary monitor for the infotainment computer.
Ambient Lighting, Acoustic Glass, Speakers
The final set of changes also focuses on the interior. Tesla replaced the RGB-capable ambient lighting with a simpler white-only version—likely saving only a few dollars per vehicle. While this may seem like a minor and somewhat unexpected cut, it could serve as an upsell opportunity to the standard RWD variant.
Additionally, Tesla reduced the use of dual-pane acoustic glass, now limiting it to just the front windows and windshield. This change drastically cuts costs but also affects cabin noise levels. The dual-pane glass played a key role in making the refreshed Model Y noticeably quieter, so this downgrade will likely bring noise insulation closer to that of the original Model Y.
As for audio, Tesla scaled down the speaker system in the Mexican Model 3 from 17 speakers to just nine, while also removing the subwoofers and one of the audio amplifiers. While this cuts costs due to wiring and speakers, it also has a large impact on the audio quality in the vehicle.
Project E41 is Not the Next-Gen Model
It’s important to note that Project E41 is not the same as the upcoming, more affordable next-gen platform, which is internally referred to as Project Redwood. While Project E41 focuses on a reduced-cost version of the Model Y, Project Redwood is designed to test Tesla’s manufacturing capabilities, using their innovative unboxed assembly method to reduce both costs and production time. The goal is to create a vehicle that is smaller and more affordable, while also keeping it safe and capable of self-driving.
Tesla previously confirmed that they plan to unveil new models—distinct from cut-down versions of the Model 3 or Model Y—during their Q4 2024 Earnings Call. However, the executive team has been careful not to divulge too many details about the upcoming model during interviews. This suggests there may be a lot more that has yet to be unveiled.
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