XAI recently launched Grok 3, the latest version of their AI model. Shortly after releasing Grok 3, xAI introduced their AI-powered voice assistant. This new voice assistant gives us a glimpse into Tesla’s upcoming smart assistant, which will also be powered by Grok.
What the Grok?
Grok, described by Elon during the Grok 3 unveiling as xAI’s “Maximally truth-seeking AI,” is designed to help answer some of humanity’s biggest questions—such as: Where are the aliens? What is the meaning of life? How does the universe end? But it’s so much more than that. It can also be used to answer your everyday questions, such as ‘What time is sunset today?’ and ‘What is Tesla’s stock price?’ (try not to look).
The name “Grok” comes from Robert Heinlein’s iconic science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land. In the book, Grok is a term used by Martians to describe the deep, profound understanding of something. This mirrors xAI’s goal with Grok—to develop an AI that grasps and comprehends in ways that were previously unimaginable.
What sets Grok apart is its lack of a “cut-off date,” meaning the model doesn’t rely on precaptured information. This enables Grok to actively source and summarize real-time data from the internet, including recent news stories, making it a powerful tool for tapping into recent events.
Why Use Grok?
Grok has already shown its impressive capabilities in just the past few days. For example, while I was stopped at a Supercharger, I shared my location, told it how long I’d be charging, and asked for the nearest, best-rated coffee shop with the shortest line at this time of day.
Grok quickly pulled up a list of local coffee shops and made suggestions based on ratings, proximity, and even average wait times. It used this data to formulate the most efficient recommendation. Below is a screenshot of the entire interaction:
To the Timmies!
Not a Tesla App
Supported Vehicles
Grok is set to replace Tesla’s current voice commands in the near future, a change that Elon has confirmed multiple times, including just recently. This is incredibly exciting news, as it will unlock a bunch of new capabilities for your current vehicle. MCU 2 and MCU 3 vehicles are expected to be able to take advantage of Grok since all the heavy lifting is completed server-side and not in the vehicle.
Much like the quick interaction I had with Grok on the web to gather information, Grok will be able to fetch data, make recommendations, and adjust settings on the fly in your vehicle. The best part is that it’ll continue to get better and better, even without software updates, since it’s completely server-based.
Grok Voice
Grok has its own voice, and upon integration into Tesla vehicles, it’s expected that you’ll actually get an audible response when asking a question, which should make keeping your eyes on the road easier. The voice mode is expected to be very similar to what’s available in the Grok app today. An example of that is shown in the video below.
Cost of Tesla Grok?
Currently, access to Grok on X requires a Premium Account, with Grok 3 access being limited to Premium+ subscribers at a steep $40 USD/month. A standalone plan for Grok that doesn’t include an X subscription is expected to be available in the future for about $30/month — still a steep price.
The big question is, how much will Grok cost in your Tesla? We expect basic vehicle commands to remain free, similar to the current setup; however, users will benefit from vehicle commands being powered by Grok, which will improve voice recognition and the ability to say commands in a more natural way.
The biggest advantage to having Grok in the vehicle will be to ask general knowledge questions and have back-and-forth conversations about any topic. We expect this to come at a premium price. It may require a subscription to Grok, or more likely, it’ll require Tesla’s Premium Connectivity package or potentially even a new Tesla Premium+ Connectivity subscription.
Rivian supports hotspot connectivity with their Connect+ connectivity package, so it’s possible Tesla may introduce a new tier with hotspot connectivity and Grok support.
Release Date
Alright, so you’re excited about Grok, and so am I. But when can we expect it in our Teslas? The answer seems to be “soon.” Elon has consistently mentioned Grok support for Tesla with the word “soon,” but if you know Elon’s timelines, that could range from tomorrow to 2030.
That said, with xAI showcasing voice mode already and a clear push for more real-world data to improve the model, we’re optimistic that it could be sooner rather than later. We’ve already seen some promising voice-related updates recently—so, fingers crossed, we could see Grok integration as early as the 2025 Spring Update.
Following the latest meeting of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which decides safety regulations for vehicles, it seems that Tesla will be facing further delays and regulatory hurdles in Europe. The Telegraph in the UK reported on this story yesterday following the conclusion of UNECE discussions.
Tesla has been waiting for regulatory approval in Europe, which would pave the way for wider FSD deployment across the EU and other countries that adhere to UNECE regulations.
Regulatory Shut Down
The latest round of delays stems from efforts by the UK, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands to push for additional testing and trials of autonomous systems. Progress toward approving vehicle autonomy in Europe has faced repeated setbacks, and this latest hurdle casts further doubt on the prospects for European customers awaiting FSD.
Regulatory changes that initially seemed on track to ease restrictions were stalled in September 2024 when the UK’s Department for Transport raised concerns, stating:
“While [a driver assistance system] may help reduce collisions, it may also introduce new safety risks.”
This perspective sounds like it comes from someone who has never actually used an advanced driver assist system—whether from Tesla or its competitors.
The UNECE, which oversees vehicle regulations in Europe, is set to meet again in June and November. However, based on the agenda from the most recent session, autonomy does not appear to be on the docket for the June meeting.
What This Means for FSD in Europe
Simply put, FSD isn’t coming to Europe anytime soon. While Tesla has some potential workarounds, none are ideal.
One option would be for Tesla to pursue regulatory exemptions on a nation-by-nation basis—requesting approval for each and every FSD feature separately. That means filing exemptions for lane changes, left and right turns, highway exits, and countless other functions. The bureaucratic process would be exhausting, requiring approval from each country individually.
Alternatively, Tesla could release a heavily restricted version of FSD that complies with current UNECE regulations. However, this would likely make the system impractical, as drivers would have to manually confirm every single action—down to something as simple as adjusting speed—using a physical button press.
For now, Europe’s regulatory framework remains a major roadblock to autonomy. Unless there’s a significant shift in policy, it’s unlikely that FSD will launch in Europe in 2025 as planned.
Tesla recently started rolling out an update that enabled the cabin radar in recent Model Ys and added support for first-row cabin sensing. This functionality not only lets Tesla replace the seat occupancy sensors in the front seats but also gives them a better idea of the size of the passengers — critical information when an accident occurs.
However, Tesla has now revealed that it won’t just be recent versions of Model Y that will receive these updates. Other recent vehicles also have a dormant in-cabin radar that will be activated in a future update.
Child Presence Detection
This front-row occupant sensing is only half of the update. Tesla also plans to add support to the rear seats that will let it detect occupants left in the vehicle. In a post on X, Tesla stated that at least 37 children die per year from heatstroke, just in the United States, according to the NHTSA. Tesla’s cabin radar will help reduce the number of deaths by detecting children left in the vehicle and alerting the owner or turning on the HVAC system.
The new radar has several safety-focused features, and they’re all designed to help protect someone left behind in a vehicle. First up - the radar will detect and classify passenger sizes to determine which airbags to deploy dynamically, helping to reduce injuries from shorter individuals sitting up front.
Additionally, the radar can differentiate an adult from a child or baby - and automatically and dynamically make the necessary safety adjustments on the fly. Tesla will also be able to detect heart rate and breathing through the radar - and has a series of safety steps it can take from here.
If a child or baby is detected being left behind in the vehicle, the Tesla app will immediately notify you and turn on the HVAC system to ensure their safety. In the case of an emergency, the vehicle will automatically call emergency services and report its location.
As a reminder, while Tesla vehicles outside of the United States support eCall, vehicles within the US cannot call 911 unless a phone is connected to the vehicle via Bluetooth. We hope that Tesla looks to add similar capabilities in North America to improve safety capabilities.
Supported Models
Although the cabin radar has only been activated in Model Ys produced in the last couple of years, Tesla said in their post on X that the radar is also available in recent Model 3s and the Cybertruck.
We did a little digging and confirmed that the part numbers for the cabin radar are the same for the 2024+ Model Y, 2024+ (new) Model 3, and the Cybertruck. So, these vehicles should also receive the latest cabin radar features.
Although the 2023 Model Y features a different part number, 2022 and 2023 Model Ys have also been receiving the front-row cabin sensing feature in Tesla’s 2025.2.6 update, but it is less clear whether they’ll receive the rear seats update later this year. The Model S and Model X also include a cabin radar, but the part number also differs from the cabin radar for the 2024 Model 3 and Model Y.
While the new Model Y isn’t available to check against on Tesla’s Electronic Parts Catalog, it looks like Tesla has been shipping the new 4D cabin radar in at least the 2024+ versions of their Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck.
We expect rear-seat sensing to arrive on vehicles with the latest cabin radar later this year, while it’s unclear whether the other vehicles with the older cabin radar will receive it.
Tesla mentioned that rear-seat support will arrive in Q3 2025 for the refreshed Model Y. Based on the different interior sizes and spaces, sensor calibration and testing for other models may come slightly later.
