Polestar began sending out a major software update to its vehicles, bringing Google Gemini into the cabin. It replaces the older Google Assistant with a much smarter artificial intelligence. Starting in the United States, drivers no longer have to talk to their cars like they are barking orders at a robot.

Until recently, using voice commands in a car was quite clunky. You had to memorize specific phrases. If you wanted to find a store, you had to say exactly the right words. If you stumbled over a sentence, the car would get confused. Polestar and Google are now ending that era. With the new Gemini system, drivers can use “free-flowing conversation.” This means you can talk to your car just like you would talk to another person sitting in the seat next to you.

The update arrives through an “over-the-air” or OTA update. Owners of eligible electric cars will see a message pop up on the large screen in the middle of their dashboard. They can choose to accept the new AI or keep the old system for a while. However, Polestar says that over time, Gemini will completely take over. Currently, the update is available for drivers in the US who use American English, but the company plans to add more languages and countries very soon.

Most of the brand’s lineup will get the update. This includes the popular Polestar 2, the large Polestar 3 SUV, and the sleek Polestar 4. Even the upcoming Polestar 5 grand tourer is part of the update. In fact, Polestar used the Polestar 5 to show off the technology at an event in Finland recently. The only model missing out is the Polestar 1. Because that car was a low-volume hybrid and not a mass-produced EV, it does not have the hardware needed for this specific update.

One of the best things about this change is how the car understands complicated thoughts. In the past, you might say, “Hey Google, find a supermarket.” Now, you can be much more specific. You can say, “Hey Google, let’s find a store on the way home, and tell my friend Joe I am coming.” The car understands that you have two different goals. It finds the best route and sends a text message at the same time. You do not have to start a new search if you forget a small detail. The AI remembers what you were talking about and can answer follow-up questions.

There is also a new tool called Gemini Live. You can start it by saying, “Hey Google, let’s talk.” This is a hands-free way to get help with daily life while you drive. If you are stuck in traffic and need a dinner recipe or ideas for a birthday present, you can brainstorm with the car. It listens and responds in a way that feels natural, helping drivers keep their eyes on the road instead of looking at their phones for help. The AI also helps break down language barriers. The system can now translate messages instantly. For example, a driver can speak a message in English and tell the car to translate it into Swedish before sending it.

The update is part of a long partnership between Polestar and Google that started in 2018. In 2020, the Polestar 2 became the very first car in the world to launch with Google’s car software built in. Other companies like Tesla try to build all their own software from scratch, but Polestar decided to work with Google, allowing them to get new features faster. One recent example is “Live Lane Guidance” for the Polestar 4. This feature uses the car’s cameras to help drivers stay in the correct lane on busy highways. It requires software version 4.2.9 or 4.2.10.

Hans Bleckert, a top manager at Polestar, says this is a huge shift in how people use their EVs. He believes that this is just the beginning of what AI can do for drivers. Michael Lohscheller, who leads the Polestar brand, is also pushing for these digital upgrades to make their electric cars feel more modern. By focusing on how humans actually speak, Polestar is making the car feel less like a tool and more like a helpful partner.

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TESLA has rolled out Elon Musk’s controversial Grok AI assistant as an update for Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X examples in Australia and New Zealand.

 

The AI chatbot – developed by Musk-owned company, xAI – can answer a wide range of user questions and serve as a navigation assistant in Tesla vehicles, functioning through voice commands activated via the steering wheel controls.

 

It can set navigation destinations, adjust routes, and even help drivers discover points of interest according to a media release from Tesla.

 

Grok can also be further personalised, with users able to alter its voice and conversational personality, with pre-sets such as ‘Assistant’, ‘Storyteller’, and ‘Unhinged.’

 

Currently – as Grok is in its Beta – it does not have the ability to control other vehicle functions such as media, climate control, screen brightness, app functionality, mirror position, Tesla’s sentry mode, or door locks.

 

Instead, such functions can be utilised using the existing voice command feature, which will co-exist with the Grok AI.

 

From 24 February, Grok can be installed on Tesla vehicles in Australia and New Zealand equipped with an AMD processor and the vehicle software version 2025.44.25 or later.

 

To install the update, either a connection to a Wi-Fi network or to Tesla’s subscription-based Premium Connectivity data service is also required.

 

The update will be made available first for vehicles with HW3 (Tesla Hardware 3) before being released in ‘waves’ for Tesla examples equipped HW4 (Tesla Hardware 4) over the subsequent days. Customers will be notified of the update through the Tesla app.

 

Grok was first introduced in 2023, designed primarily to generate answers to user questions. Later, in July 2025, it was introduced as a feature in Tesla vehicles in the United States.

 

According to a 2023 X post from xAI, Grok was designed to be uniquely characterised by its witty nature, its “rebellious streak” and its ability to “answer spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems”.

 

Grok AI can also be personalised based on a user’s X activity such as their posts, profile, the content they engage with as well as their inputs into the AI itself.

 

Following its release, the Grok AI quickly became a source of controversy, infamously generating extremist and anti-Semitic responses as well as being used by users to generate sexually explicit material.

 

As far as user privacy is concerned, Tesla has assured that conversations between owners and the Grok AI “remain anonymous to Tesla and are not linked to you or your vehicle” in a media release.