Tesla’s next major software feature isn’t just an update — it’s practically a new cast of characters. A recent firmware deep dive by well-known Tesla hacker @greentheonly reveals what’s coming in Tesla update 2025.20, and it’s loaded with new AI personalities, smarter navigation tools, and some hidden caveats for older vehicle owners.
A Dozen Groks: Tesla’s In-Car AI Gets a Personality Boost
While most carmakers are struggling to add basic voice assistants, Tesla is taking it several steps further by integrating xAI’s Grok directly into its vehicle ecosystem.
According to Green, the update introduces a full set of distinct Grok personalities, each designed for unique in-car interactions.
Confirmed Grok Personas:
- Argumentative – Debate mode on
- Assistant – Your daily driver AI
- Conspiracy – The tinfoil hat edition
- Doctor – Health & wellness (non-diagnostic)
- Kids’ Stories – Short tales for young passengers
- Kids’ Trivia Games – Playful learning on the go
- Meditation – Calming voice with prompts
- Motivation – Think: “You’ve got this.”
- Romantic – Date night playlist incoming?
- Sexy – No details yet… but it’s real
- Storyteller – Grok spins a narrative
- Therapist – Talk it out with your AI
- Language Tutor – Learn a new language during your commute
- Grok Classic / Unhinged Mode – The original, unfiltered version
Each persona will likely come with its own voice tone, icon, and interaction style. Tesla’s adding actual UI icons for these personas in update 2025.20, hinting the rollout is closer than ever.
Release Timeline and Limited Availability
Although these features now exist in the firmware, don’t expect to see them in your car immediately. Tesla may begin internal employee testing first before launching it to the public.
Grok is expected to be one of the largest AI features Tesla has ever released via OTA update, and may require Premium Connectivity or another subscription tier.
Hardware Limitation: AMD-Only Support for Now
If you’re driving an older Intel-based Tesla, there’s bad news: Grok support is currently only coded into AMD builds of the firmware. That likely rules out vehicles made before Tesla’s mid-2021 hardware refresh unless a future update adds support.
Tesla followed a similar rollout strategy with its voice assistant in China—first launching on AMD, then backporting to Intel. So there’s still hope for legacy owners.
New Energy-Saving Navigation Tip in 2025.20.3
Another undocumented but fascinating feature is a new energy suggestion tool inside the Energy App. It’s designed to help drivers conserve range by using real-world data Tesla has collected on popular routes.
Here’s how it works:
“This route is typically driven at 66 mph. Slow down by 5 mph to save 1% of range for the rest of your trip.”
Though 1% might seem small, this feature becomes crucial if you’re low on charge or stuck in range anxiety mode.
This system could later tie into Robotaxi route planning, where conserving energy and optimizing drive style will matter even more than it does for daily drivers.