Tesla is commencing the phased rollout of its advanced AI companion, Grok, to eligible electric vehicles in Australia and New Zealand this week. Owners of vehicles equipped with Hardware 3 and AMD processors will be the first to experience the new artificial intelligence feature, which promises to enhance the driving and ownership experience through real-time information and voice command capabilities.
Grok’s Integration into Tesla Vehicles
The integration of Grok marks a significant expansion of in-car AI technology for Tesla owners. Developed by xAI, Grok is designed to provide accurate responses to a wide range of queries by leveraging real-time data. This capability extends beyond simple question-answering, as Grok can also be used to control the vehicle’s navigation system through voice commands.
An announcement on the official Tesla Australia & New Zealand X account confirmed the rollout, stating, “Grok is coming to Teslas in Australia and New Zealand.” The post further elaborated on its functionalities: “It can answer almost any question using real-time information & also add/edit navigation destinations to become your personal guide.” The company indicated that the rollout had begun for eligible vehicles.
Activating and Using Grok
Upon receiving and installing the latest software update that includes Grok, owners can activate the AI assistant. The process involves enabling the feature from the car’s steering wheel and setting its personality mode to ‘Assistant’. Once activated, users can begin interacting with Grok.
Potential use cases for Grok are extensive and designed to streamline the driving experience. Examples provided include:
- Setting a destination using voice commands.
- Adjusting navigation routes while on the move.
- Discovering local points of interest.
This hands-free navigation control is seen as a valuable improvement, particularly in a segment where voice command functionality has been an area of ongoing development for many electric vehicles.
Privacy and Security Measures
Tesla has emphasized the privacy-conscious design of Grok’s integration. According to the company, all interactions with Grok are processed securely by xAI. Crucially, conversations are designed to remain anonymous and are not linked to individual owners or their vehicles by Tesla, ensuring a higher degree of user privacy.
Eligibility and Rollout Schedule
For Tesla owners to utilize Grok for initiating navigation commands, their vehicles must be running software version 2025.44.25 or a later iteration. The initial phase of the Grok rollout is specifically targeting Tesla vehicles equipped with Hardware 3 and AMD processors.
To determine if their Tesla Model 3 or Model Y has an AMD infotainment processor, owners can navigate to ‘Controls’, then ‘Software’, and finally ‘Additional Vehicle Information’ within the vehicle’s settings menu. This section will display the car’s infotainment processor type.
Tesla has indicated that subsequent waves of rollout for Hardware 4 vehicles are scheduled to occur in the coming days. Owners will be notified of these updates directly through their Tesla App.
The Significance of Over-the-Air Updates
The introduction of Grok exemplifies the benefits of Tesla’s over-the-air (OTA) update capabilities. This technology allows the company to continuously add new features and enhance existing ones, thereby improving the electric vehicle ownership experience without requiring physical dealership visits.
This significant feature addition has been eagerly anticipated by many Tesla owners, and its local rollout underscores the evolving nature of in-car technology and AI integration within the automotive sector.
The author, Riz Akhtar, founder of carloop, specializes in Australian EV data and insights. As a mechanical engineer with a background in transport infrastructure, he holds a passion for electric vehicles and aims to contribute to reducing transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.