Tesla's latest "standby mode" is ready to be "summoned" at any time

In the latest OTA version 2019.20.4.5, Tesla released a new "Standby Mode" to further launch the enhanced summoning mode, allowing car owners to summon their vehicles faster in the parking lot.

Tesla describes the feature like this:

Summon Standby keeps sensors, cameras and the onboard computer working to reduce the time it takes to initiate the summon process.

This feature can be activated in AutoPilot settings under Enhanced Summon.

However, with some previous range controversies, Tesla also issued a warning about energy consumption:

When Summon Standby mode is activated, the vehicle consumes additional battery power. Standby mode only works when the battery has more than 20% charge remaining.

The enhanced summon function is an upgrade based on the summon function previously launched by Tesla. In the initial version, the owner can summon the vehicle parked not far away or in a parking space that is too narrow, and control the front and rear of the vehicle from outside the car to let the vehicle drive out by itself.

In the enhanced version, the distance at which the owner can summon the vehicle is greater (up to about 45 meters), and the vehicle can also handle more complex parking environments. Through the button added in the App, you can choose to let the vehicle "Find Me" directly, or you can specify a location for the vehicle to drive to.

However, this feature is still in the Beta testing stage, and car owners who use it also need to join Tesla's Early Access Program. Musk previously said that this is mainly due to legal compliance issues.

According to the feedback from car owners who have experienced it, the performance of the summon function is not bad, but many people feel that the vehicle moves too slowly, and there is also some delay in activating the enhanced summon function. Perhaps this is why Musk wants to add a standby function to it.

In fact, this is another balance between function and power. Some people don't want to waste power when the vehicle is parked, just like Sentry Mode, but for most people, Sentry Mode is at least more practical. So, perhaps adding an on button to the standby function itself, so that people can turn it on when they are about to leave, can make car owners no longer worry about power consumption.