Tesla will release a new software upgrade this week to address "valid concerns" about its self-parking feature.
The self-parking feature, called Summon, allows owners to control the Tesla Model S remotely using the key fob. The feature could be used to have the car pull into a garage and close the garage door, or open the garage door and pull out into the driveway. The car operates at the very low speed of one mile per hour when the Summon feature is in use.
Consumer Reports contacted Tesla after it found the feature could cause a car to have avoidable low-speed collisions with objects or walls. Because the buttons are not marked on the key fob, a user could easily press the wrong button and then be unable to stop the car once its in motion.
There were issues with the app too, according to Consumer Reports. If the Tesla app is closed while the car is in motion, the car will continue to move.
All of this means if owners were to make a mistake, or if Summon were activated when they weren't physically present, they would be unable to stop the car once its in motion.
The Tesla Model S does have fail safes that will allow it to stop if it encounters and object like a curb, but Consumer Reports found that Summon can't detect narrow obstacles or ones placed very low or very high.
"We tried out the Model S P85D with several large objects that a homeowner might leave in a driveway or on the floor of a garage—such as a duffel bag and bicycle—and the car failed to stop before hitting them," Consumer Reports said.
The Tesla will stop automatically if the owner touches the door handle, but Consumer Reports argues that Tesla should ensure consumers are aware of that safety feature and should also have a "dead-man's" switch to stop the car.
Tesla did respond to these concerns, stating a software upgrade released this week will require customers to keep their finger pressed to the phone screen while Summon is in use. This will ensure the feature isn't activated when no one is around to supervise the car.
The upgrade will also allow owners to stop their Tesla from moving by touching a button on their key fob.
"As a beta feature, we continue to test Summon and collect feedback from real-world user experience," Tesla wrote in a statement to Consumer Reports. "Consumer Reports surfaced valid concerns that we’ve already built fixes for, continuing to make Summon and our vehicles better.”
