The core issue is that Tesla’s 2025 Holiday Update brings a mix of exciting new capabilities and notable omissions, leaving owners excited yet aware of what’s still pending. But here’s where it gets controversial: the update demonstrates strong feature breadth, while some long-awaited items remain unavailable, prompting debate about priorities and pacing.
Tesla’s 2025 Holiday Update introduces a broad slate of additions that straddle practicality and entertainment, offering both improved navigation tools and playful enhancements. Key inclusions are designed to boost daily usability, driving enjoyment, and in-car experience, while some expected features are conspicuously absent.
What’s included, in detail:
- Grok with Navigation Commands (Beta): Grok gains the ability to add and edit navigation destinations, a major upgrade from the previous reliance on standard voice commands. It also offers destination context, such as nearby reviews and points of interest, when using Grok’s “Assistant” persona.
- Tesla Photobooth: Inside the Toybox, drivers can transform rides into a photo session with filters, stickers, and emojis, sharing selfies directly from the car through the Tesla app.
- Dog Mode Live Activity: While Dog Mode remains, it now streams periodic cabin snapshots and live data on temperature, battery, and climate, helping owners monitor pets remotely.
- Dashcam Viewer Update: Dashcam clips gain additional context—speed, steering wheel angle, and Self-Driving state—providing more useful information for incidents or reviews.
- Santa Mode: New visuals, trees, and a lock chime add festive flair.
- Light Show Update: A new show called Jingle Rush enhances in-car lighting synchronization with music.
- Custom Wraps and License Plates in Colorizer (renamed to Paint Shop in Toybox): Personalization expands to avatar styling, window tints, wraps, and license plates. Preloaded designs exist, with USB-driven customization options.
- Navigation Improvements: A new Favorites tab simplifies reordering destinations, and pins can set Home and Work. Suggested Destinations surface based on recent trips and parked habits.
- Supercharger Site Map: A 3D view of select Supercharger sites becomes available via View Site Map, showing layout, live occupancy, amenities, and allowing stall selection. This feature is expanding to more locations over time.
- Automatic Carpool Lane Routing: Navigation can automatically select carpool lanes when eligible.
- Phone Left Behind Chime: If a phone is left in the car or not detected by occupant sensors after doors close, the system will chime to alert.
- Charge Limit Per Location: A location-specific charge limit can be saved and applied on next charging at that location.
- ISS Docking Simulator: In collaboration with SpaceX, an in-car arcade game lets users simulate docking with the International Space Station using NASA-like controls.
- Additional Improvements: Wireless charging toggle in Controls, expanded Spotify integration, elevated vibes with Rainbow colors in Rave Cave, and enhanced Lock Sound featuring Tron-inspired visuals from the Toybox Boombox.
What’s missing from the update:
- Banish Feature: Teased for years as a kind of reverse summon, allowing the car to exit and find its own parking spot, this feature isn’t ready yet.
- Apple CarPlay: Despite substantial rumors and testing, CarPlay integration did not make the cut this cycle.
- Parking Spot Selection: Full Self-Driving v14 notes that future updates would add grip for choosing a specific parking spot, a capability many users desire for homes, apartments, and gated communities.
If these gaps matter to you, you’re not alone. This update shows progress in immersion and utility, but it also highlights a strategic pause on features that some drivers consider essential. What are your thoughts on the balance between new entertainment features and practical driving tools? Do you prioritize CarPlay compatibility or the new personalization options? Share your viewpoint in the comments.
