In tests of 170 spoken commands, Grok handled 116 without a single tap on the touchscreen. That’s a 68% success rate, strong for a car assistant, but it also means not every Tesla owner can use the new features.
Update OTA 2026.26.6.5 is available only for Teslas with AMD Ryzen processors. Owners with the older Intel Atom chip, regardless of software version, don’t get access to the expanded voice controls. The hardware cutoff splits the Tesla lineup: some drivers can now control almost everything by voice, while others remain limited by the older system.
Tesla’s official release notes say conversations with Grok are anonymous and not tied to a specific vehicle, addressing users’ privacy concerns.
For drivers with compatible hardware, Grok understands natural-language requests for tasks such as adjusting temperature and fan speed, folding mirrors or opening the glovebox. It can also change wiper speed. Navigation is easier, too: drivers can ask Grok to find an address or Supercharger, or locate a restaurant instead of typing or searching manually.
The assistant can also save Dashcam clips or turn on Sentry Mode by voice. It can handle several instructions at once: drivers can ask it to fold the mirrors and speed up the wipers, while also lowering the temperature in a single phrase.
Drivers can activate Grok by saying “Hey Grok” or holding the voice button on the steering wheel. They can also launch it from the app launcher. The system uses natural language processing to interpret requests, moving beyond the old menu-based voice controls.
Tesla’s release notes say Grok’s advanced voice features require Premium Connectivity or a Wi-Fi connection, so some capabilities may be unavailable without internet access. The rollout of update 2026.26.6.5 has primarily targeted newer vehicles and the North American market, while European models and older hardware have seen slower adoption.
The latest release notes (2026.27.200) mention options to customize Grok’s voice and personality, as well as expanded support for making calls and playing music, plus voice searches of the control panel. The basic change is how drivers interact with their cars: tasks that once required navigating touchscreen menus can now be done with a sentence.
There are still limits. Advanced settings and Full Self-Driving (FSD) features require manual input, either on the screen or with the steering wheel button. For owners of Intel Atom-based Teslas, there’s no word from Tesla on whether any of Grok’s new features will reach these older cars or whether the hardware gap is permanent.
This isn’t the first time a hardware change has set new boundaries for what a car can do. The auto industry has seen similar divides, including the shift from classic performance tuning to electric platforms, a subject we covered in our recent article on Irmscher’s move from the Opel Ascona to the Leapmotor B10 Dynamic.
For Tesla, the Grok update comes amid growing competition, especially from Chinese automakers that have pulled ahead in infotainment and AI features. Elon Musk’s company is under pressure to show it can still lead in digital innovation alongside battery range and acceleration.
Tesla is reportedly working on more upgrades, including FSD features such as pothole avoidance, promised since 2019 but still without a release date. For now, the Grok update points to the direction of in-car technology: voice controls are available only to drivers with compatible hardware.
