Tesla to enhance self-parking and summon capabilities, says Elon Musk

Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk has said the company will soon enable its cars to drop passengers at their destination and then autonomously find a parking spot. When users are ready to leave, they will be able to summon the vehicle back using their phone.

"In the near future, your Tesla will drop you off at the store entrance and then go find a parking spot. When you are ready to exit the store, just tap Summon on your phone and the car will come to you," Musk wrote on X on October 10.

Tesla already offers partial versions of these features through its Autopark and Smart Summon functions. The current Autopark system allows a vehicle to automatically parallel or perpendicular park under specific conditions, while Summon enables owners to move the car forward or backward remotely using the Tesla app. Smart Summon goes a step further, letting the car navigate short distances in a parking lot to reach the owner.

However, these systems have limitations. They generally work only in defined environments, such as private parking lots and driveways, require clear line markings, and can be inconsistent in obstacle detection.

Musk's post suggests a more advanced iteration of the technology, capable of fully autonomous navigation from a drop-off point to an available parking space without driver supervision. Such functionality would mark a major leap from current semi-autonomous systems and could make Tesla the first automaker to deploy large-scale self-parking capability in real-world conditions.