Elon Musk confirms groundbreaking feature coming to Tesla in 'near future'
The new feature could be a lifesaver for parking
Featured Image Credit: PATRICK PLEUL / Contributor via Getty
Elon Musk has confirmed that a feature users have been eagerly awaiting is finally coming to Tesla in 'near future'.
Tesla owners have already proven they can save a considerable amount of money compared to traditional gas-powered cars by charging their vehicles at home.
But now, a brand new feature coming to Tesla vehicles could be a game-changer for anyone who dreads finding a parking spot. Musk recently announced on X the upcoming launch of a feature called 'Banish.'
The function is designed to make Tesla ownership even more convenient by turning your vehicle into its own robotic valet.
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In other words, the autonomous vehicle will be capable of finding a parking space on its own and returning to pick you up when you're ready.
On Friday (10 October), the SpaceX founder posted on X: "In the near future, your Tesla will drop you off at the store entrance and then go find a parking spot.
"When you’re ready to exit the store, just tap Summon on your phone and the car will come to you."
The phrase 'near future' is admittedly vague, and given Musk's history of ambitious timelines, this could still be years away. However, for Tesla's vision of fully autonomous robotaxis to become a reality, their vehicles must be able to find parking or charging stations without any human intervention.
This makes the Banish feature particularly vital, especially as Tesla plans to introduce models without steering wheels or pedals, like the Cybercab, by 2026.
Shortly after his initial announcement, Musk reposted content from the account Whole Mars Catalog, which stated: "With Self-Driving 14.1, your Tesla can now drive you into a mall parking garage and park, and then exit on its own."
The post included footage of a Model 3 Performance demonstrating the capability at the Century City mall in Los Angeles, showing the vehicle autonomously navigating to find a parking space.
According to Tesla Oracle, Tesla vehicles running Full Self-Driving FSD v14.1 and later versions can now park themselves at your destination.
The AI software also includes several impressive new features, such as 'Arrival Options.'
This allows you to choose specifically how you want your vehicle to pick you up, including options like Parking Lot, Street, Driveway and Curbside.
Some Tesla drivers have already been testing and sharing the feature on X. Driver Devin Olsen was impressed by his car's 20-minute autonomous search for parking, noting it pulled some intelligent moves while searching and that they blended in with other cars.
He added that 'the only issue is we didn't go deeper into the parking lot to search and we didn't sit and wait for people who are unloading their carts.'