Tesla engineers have been hard at work delivering an over-the-air software update for the last few weeks now. This update includes xAI's impressive AI-assistant, Grok. Since my 2022 Model 3 is considered “older” by Tesla-standards I was among the last to get the update but over the weekend the day finally arrived. The wait was well worth it and just a small glimpse of some pretty insane features coming by the end of summer.
Every Tesla OTA software update feels a little like Christmas morning because they're usually significant upgrades, enhancements, and sometimes even fun hidden easter eggs. This latest update, 2025.26, was extra special.
After living with Grok in the car for a few days I thought I’d put a little video together to highlight some of its capabilities. In its current Beta-version, Grok isn’t yet integrated into the car completely so it can’t control any of the car’s features just yet—but that’s coming in a month or so. In its current form it operates just like the standalone Grok app, only it lives on the car’s screen.
As you’ll see from the video, it now operates at a human conversational level with almost no lag time. You can choose between a few different voices, some male and some female. Some are soothing and others are a little spicier. In its current form Grok is a cornucopia for the curious and a decent conversationalist on road trips but after the next update Grok will be much more capable and be able to control nearly every feature in the car.
In the video, I ask Grok the following three questions. I thought these might give the uninitiated a demonstration of Grok’s capabilities.
Grok, can you explain how artificial intelligence like yourself can assist everyday people in solving a practical problem, like managing stress or planning a budget, in a way that feels personal and approachable?
Grok, imagine you’re helping a small business owner who’s worried about competing in a fast-changing market. How would you analyze a current trend on X to give them actionable insights, and how would you ensure your advice is trustworthy?
Grok, tell a story about how you helped a user solve a problem or learn something new, and reflect on why being truthful matters to you as an AI built by xAI.
Even though Grok makes me feel a little like The Knight Rider when I use it in my car, my Tesla doesn't exactly feel like KITT just yet. But I have no doubt by summer's end those Tesla engineers will work their magic and make my inner-1980's child very happy. Sometimes dreams really do come true. : )
I'll be sure to post another video as soon as Grok is fully integrated in the Model 3's UI.
All for now. Thanks for reading.
