Tesla will soon start rolling out its annual Holiday Update packed with new features spanning entertainment, navigation, safety, and personalization.
Ahead of the 2025 release, which should start within the next 24 hours, Tesla has previewed all of the features that will be included. However, there will definitely be hardware limitations, so not everyone (those on HW3/AI3) will receive all features.
Grok Becomes In-Car Navigator
Tesla’s Grok assistant gets its first expansion of capabilities. With this update, Grok can add and adjust navigation stops using spoken commands, effectively acting as a co-pilot.
Owners simply need to set Grok’s personality to “Assistant” to activate navigation control.
With Grok available in both AI3 and AI4 vehicles, this should roll out to both sets of owners.
Supercharger Site Maps Debut
Perhaps the biggest feature of the update is 3D Supercharger site maps. launching as a pilot at 18 locations, 17 in California and 1 in Texas, you can now tap “View Site Map,” or upon arrival while navigating, to see stall layouts, nearby amenities, and live occupancy broken down by availability status.
Given the limitations of the Intel processor, these site maps will likely be available on cars with AMD Ryzen.
Dashcam Viewer Gets Telemetry Overlays
Another big feature, and one long requested by owners, is the improved Dashcam Viewer. Recorded clips will now display additional telemetry information directly on-screen, including:
- Vehicle speed
- Steering wheel angle
- Driving state (Autopilot / FSD engagement status)
These added data points provide drivers with critical context when reviewing footage, especially during incidents or insurance disputes. It also gives owners a clearer view of how the car interpreted the situation if Autopilot or FSD was active at the time.
The driving state information will also be useful to know if FSD was engaged when someone shares a clip claiming either something positive or negative about the system.
With tesla recently releasing an updated dashcam viewer for AI3, this will hopefully be available for both AI3 and AI4.
Navigation & Charging Upgrades
Navigation favorites can be reordered, and Home or Work locations can be set anywhere via dropped pins. Suggested destinations based on travel habits now appear while parked. HOV lane routing becomes an optional automatic feature depending on occupancy, time restrictions, and local rules.
Charging gets smarter with location-specific charge limits, applied automatically the next time you plug in. Cybertruck drivers can now enable or disable wireless charging pads from the touchscreen.
New Toybox Experiences
The update adds some fun upgrades to keep owners busy while parked.
Tesla Photobooth transforms the cabin into a selfie studio, complete with filters and shareable stickers directly through the Tesla app.
Santa Mode gets a long-awaited update with enhancements like animated snow, holiday characters, and a new lock jingle.
A refreshed Light Show called Jingle Rush supports scheduling, vehicle syncing, and expanded customization tools, including interior light control.
Gamers also get something new — the SpaceX ISS Docking Simulator, where players pilot a spacecraft and attempt to dock with the International Space Station using controls modeled after real astronaut interfaces.
Previously only available for the Cybertruck, the Holiday Update introduces Custom Wraps and License Plates inside the avatar view, letting drivers tweak how their virtual Tesla appears in the vehicle UI, including window tints, various wrap designs, and plate styles.
For those wanting something fully unique, you can also add user-generated designs via USB.
Dog Mode Notifications
Dog Mode Live Activity now pushes periodic cabin snapshots and condition updates directly to the iPhone lock screen.
A Phone Left Behind Chime has also been added, helping to prevent forgotten devices, especially phone keys on the wireless charger, with support for UWB-equipped phones.
