Associated Incidents
A viral video posted on social media shows a Tesla vehicle crashing into a multi-million dollar private jet after its owner tried to "summon" it with an automatic parking feature.
The video, which was first posted to Reddit this week and later shared across Twitter, had been viewed more than 3 million times by Saturday morning. The incident reportedly took place at an event sponsored by aircraft manufacturer Cirrus at Felts Field in Spokane, Washington, according to The Verge.
The video captures security camera footage of a Tesla Model Y slowly ramming into a Cirrus Vision Jet, which costs nearly $3.5 million, the news outlet reported.
According to social media posts, the owner of the vehicle was using the Tesla "Smart Summon" feature, which is meant to help cars navigate obstacles in order to move in and out of nearby parking spaces on its own. Through the Tesla app, an owner can move their vehicle by targeting a location via GPS as long as the car is within 20 feet and in the owner's line of vision.
"This is useful for moving Model Y out of a tight parking spot, through puddles, or helping you retrieve your car while carrying packages. You must maintain a clear line of sight between you and Model Y and closely monitor the vehicle and its surroundings at all times," Tesla says on its website.
Smart Summon was first introduced in 2019, but Tesla owners quickly noted that the feature was riddled with mishaps, with several users reporting that their cars had become confused or gotten into accidents during trials. Some owners reported that their vehicles rammed into garages, while others noted that their cars attempted to drive into traffic.
"Be forewarned @Tesla @elonmusk Enhanced summon isn't safe or production ready. Tried in my empty drive way. Car went forward and ran into the side of garage. Love the car but saddened," wrote one Twitter user.
As a whole, Tesla's self-driving features, or advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), have often been viewed as controversial. The company offers three levels of ADAS systems, which includes Basic Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self Driving Beta.
The company has previously been criticized for misleading the public into thinking its ADAS systems can allow drivers to pull their attention entirely away from the road. In reality, Tesla notes that all drivers should be ready to take over in a moment's notice if operating under an ADAS system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating at least 12 instances in where Tesla vehicles with autopilot features enabled crashed into stationary emergency vehicles, Newsweek reported last month. In one incident, a Tesla driver using autopilot in North Carolina was watching a movie on his phone when his vehicle slammed into a parked police car, striking a sheriff's deputy.
Newsweek contacted Tesla for additional comment.