Autopark parking forward instead of backward?

[EVRider-FL]

Tesla Autopark only backs into parking spaces, and has always worked that way as far as I can remember. I suppose it was implemented that way because there's no bumper-level camera in front, but I don't really know. Does anyone know if Tesla has said anything about allowing Autopark to (optionally) pull forward into a perpendicular parking space?

There are (at least) a couple of reasons why parking forward would be useful or necessary:

1. Here in FL we don't use front license plates, and some parking facilities require you to park head first so your plate is visible. This requirement would have to be met by any fully autonomous vehicle.
2. Sometimes the target perpendicular space is ahead of you instead of to the side, and having to turn around and back in is cumbersome and makes parking take longer. Not a requirement like the first item, but convenient for supervised FSD.

I don't think the lack of a front bumper camera prevents Tesla from implementing forward parking. Before you actually pull into the perpendicular space, the existing front cameras should be able to see the boundaries of the parking space, and "remember" where the front boundary is even after it moves out of camera range.

A related observation: I've had Autopark since my first 2016 AP1 Model S but never used it, other than to try it out, because it was slow and more trouble than it was worth. I've used the new vision-based Autopark in FSD v12 a couple of times (perpendicular only), and it's much better (and faster) than before, so I'll probably use it more.

 

[zoomer0056]

Before you actually pull into the perpendicular space, the existing front cameras should be able to see the boundaries of the parking space, and "remember" where the front boundary is even after it moves out of camera range.

I think that is possible but maybe problematic without stereo scopic vision or something else to identify position at one point relative to the car. Just guessing of course.

 

[JB47394]

I don't think the lack of a front bumper camera prevents Tesla from implementing forward parking.

There are certainly asymmetries in the cameras between parking front-in versus parking rear-in. I just hopped in my car in my driveway, and gauging distance from the front bumper is noticeably inferior to gauging it from the rear bumper. It may be both the absence of a front bumper camera as well as the lack of forward facing side cameras that keeps Tesla from pursuing it.

It may also be that they want to get rear-in parking working first because they have that extra accuracy. If their millions of users don't run into problems with that, they might try front-in parking.

I hope they let us tap on an end of a parking spot to indicate where we want the nose of our vehicle.

 

[enemji]

Backing into a parking space at Costco is the worst thing ever. How am I supposed to load the tons of groceries and paper towels, toilet paper, dishwasher liquid, etc?

 

[MLXXXp]

For a human, pulling in forwards is generally a fair bit easier that backing in, so the benefit of Autopark wouldn't be that great. Personally, I would probably never use it for this.

 

[zoomer0056]

For a human, pulling in forwards is generally a fair bit easier that backing in, so the benefit of Autopark wouldn't be that great. Personally, I would probably never use it for this.

Backing out is harder than backing in.

 

[MLXXXp]

Backing out is harder than backing in.

Not for me in most cases. When backing in you're usually moving from a large area to a small area (at least when it's most difficult). When backing out, you're likely to have a large area to back into (though there's the issue of visibility of other moving vehicles and pedestrians).

 

[n9144p]

Backing out of a parking space into traffic is about the largest cause of accidents. Seldom with injuries though….

 

[mborkow]

AutoPark, for me anyway, is just a fun novelty. I don’t use it much unless my kids want to see the car park itself.

 

[MLXXXp]

Backing out of a parking space into traffic is about the largest cause of accidents.

So then I guess we need Autounpark.

 

[zoomer0056]

Not for me in most cases. When backing in you're usually moving from a large area to a small area (at least when it's most difficult). When backing out, you're likely to have a large area to back into (though there's the issue of visibility of other moving vehicles and pedestrians).

The extra difficulty comes from many variable variables as the space in backing out is not static.

 

[TresLA]

So then I guess we need Autounpark.

That’s an existing feature called “(smart) summon”.

In any case, I don’t think front camera has much to do with it, even though some of us still have USS and it can “dumb summon” just fine forward into a parking space, I think it’s just a matter of priorities that they haven’t implemented forward auto park yet.

And yes, I find myself using auto park often, as well as “dumb summon” forward into a tight parking space. It’s great double press park stalk button (older Model 3), tap forward on the screen, get out, close the door, and the car pulls forward just fine the exact amount/distance to finish the right parking.

 

[JulienW]

An easy fix FOR ANY way of parking and especially for the future of FSD plus fixing dangerous creep out into a lane to see around side obstructions. Add 4 side bumper cameras for cross traffic. Throw in a front bumper camera and all is covered.