Tesla has begun rolling out its 2025 holiday software update, featuring integration of the Grok AI chatbot for navigation commands and various practical enhancements. The update, announced on December 8, 2025, includes fun seasonal modes alongside improvements to charging and vehicle monitoring. Availability varies by region and vehicle hardware.
Tesla's annual holiday software update for 2025 started deploying to customer vehicles on December 8, 2025, as confirmed by the company and early reports. This release combines entertainment with utility, building on Tesla's tradition of major pre-holiday over-the-air updates.
A standout addition is the beta "Grok with Navigation Commands" feature, developed by Elon Musk's xAI and integrated into Tesla vehicles since July 2025. Tesla states, "Grok can now add & edit navigation destinations, becoming your personal guide." Users must set Grok's personality to "Assistant" to access this voice-activated tool, which demonstrated adding stops like the Ferry Building, Pier 39, and Golden Gate Park for a San Francisco tour. Other navigation upgrades allow reordering favorites, setting Home or Work locations by dropping a pin on the map, viewing suggested destinations based on recent trips while parked, and optional automatic high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane routing, which considers time, location, passenger count, and restrictions.
Practical features include setting charge limits per location for automatic application during future sessions, useful for varying charging needs like at home or work. Select Superchargers now offer a 3D site map showing stall availability, initially at 18 stations. The Dashcam Viewer adds overlays for speed, steering wheel angle, and self-driving state. Dog Mode gains iPhone Live Activity with periodic cabin snapshots and updates on temperature, battery, and climate.
Seasonal fun arrives via Santa Mode, transforming the dashboard visualization into a sleigh with reindeer, snowmen, trees, falling snow, and a lock chime. A new Jingle Rush light show, Tesla Photobooth for selfies with filters and stickers, and avatar customizations like wraps and license plates add whimsy. The ISS Docking Simulator game uses NASA-inspired controls for docking with the International Space Station.
Minor tweaks enable or disable wireless phone charging pads and add Spotify tracks to queues from search. A chime alerts if a phone key or device is left inside after doors close, requiring UWB support for detection. While Grok has faced controversies, including erroneous outputs and biased responses earlier in 2025, Tesla emphasizes its role as a helpful assistant. Feature rollout depends on vehicle processors and regions, with no exact timeline beyond "shortly."
This update arrives amid Tesla's efforts to boost appeal during a sales slowdown, following a shareholder vote on potential xAI investments.
