Hardware 3 Teslas Receive Smarter Summon Feature in Recent Update

Tesla has announced that its latest “Actually Smart Summon” feature is now available for vehicles equipped with Hardware 3 (HW3) through Software Update 2024.27.20. This expansion comes just a day after the initial rollout, which was initially thought to be exclusive to vehicles with the more advanced Hardware 4 (HW4).

The inclusion of HW3 vehicles in this update addresses concerns from owners who feared being left behind in Tesla’s rapid advancement of Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities. While HW4 remains Tesla’s cutting-edge self-driving computer, this move demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting its broader customer base.

Reports from early adopters are promising. Twitter user @BLKMDL3, who owns a 2019 Model 3 Performance, claims that the feature performs comparably well on their HW3 vehicle as it does on the newer 2024 Model 3 Performance with HW4.

This performance parity is particularly noteworthy given the hardware differences between these models:

• The 2019 Model 3 uses an Intel Atom chip and retains ultrasonic sensors.
• The 2024 Model 3 Performance features an upgraded AMD Ryzen chip and relies on Tesla’s Vision-only system, having phased out ultrasonic sensors.

The successful implementation of “Actually Smart Summon” across these varied hardware configurations suggests that Tesla has refined its software to perform consistently despite differences in underlying hardware.

This update alleviates concerns about the potential phasing out of HW3 vehicles from future FSD improvements. While the long-term strategy for HW3 support remains unclear, this release indicates that Tesla is still actively developing and improving features for its older hardware platforms.

As the rollout continues, Tesla owners are encouraged to check for the latest software update to access this enhanced functionality. The company has not yet provided official comments on the performance differences, if any, between HW3 and HW4 implementations of the new feature.