# mytesla.io vs Hey Grok

> Grok lives in the car for questions and navigation; mytesla.io lets any AI run your Tesla's climate, charging, and security remotely. How they differ and why they work together.

Tesla now ships Grok in the car — say "Hey Grok" and you can ask questions and
set navigation without touching the screen. That's a real step forward, and it
raises an obvious question: if my Tesla already has an AI, why would I use
mytesla.io? The short answer is that they solve different problems, and they
work well together.

> mytesla.io is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
> or sponsored by Tesla, Inc. or xAI. Grok's capabilities change with each
> software update — check Tesla's release notes for what's live on your car.

## What "Hey Grok" does

As of 2026, Grok in the car is primarily a **conversational co-pilot**:

- Answers questions ("how far to the next Supercharger?").
- Sets and adjusts **navigation** by voice.
- Lives **in the vehicle**, tied to your car's AI hardware.

Tesla has said deeper Full Self-Driving voice control is coming. But Grok is
built around the *driving* experience, from the *driver's seat*.

## What mytesla.io does

mytesla.io connects your car to the AI assistant you use **everywhere else** —
Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor — so it can run real commands **remotely** and
**compose them with the rest of your life**:

- Pre-condition climate before you leave the house.
- Set charging to hit a target by a departure time, on off-peak rates.
- Check status, locks, and windows from your laptop or phone.
- Combine the car with your **calendar, the weather, and your smart home** in a
  single request.

It's a [Tesla MCP server](/tesla-ai-assistant) exposing 40 Fleet API tools —
climate, charging, access, security, navigation sharing, software updates.

## Side by side

| | Hey Grok (in-car) | mytesla.io |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Inside the vehicle | Anywhere your AI is — laptop, phone, desktop |
| Main job | Questions + navigation while driving | Running the car remotely + automations |
| Climate / charging control | Not the focus today | Core feature (40 tools) |
| Calendar / weather / smart-home logic | No | Yes — composed by your assistant |
| Which AI | Grok only | Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, any MCP client |
| Works before you get in the car | No | Yes — that's the point |

## They're complements, not competitors

The natural setup: **Grok for in-car voice and navigation, mytesla.io for
everything you want to happen before and after you're in the seat.**

- On the couch: "Claude, make sure the car's charged to 90% and warm by 7 AM."
  → mytesla.io.
- In the driver's seat: "Hey Grok, take me to the office, avoid the highway."
  → Grok.

Neither one replaces the other, and using mytesla.io doesn't disable anything
Tesla ships.

## Why not just wait for Tesla to add all of this to Grok?

Maybe it will. But mytesla.io works **today**, works from **outside the car**,
works with the **AI you already pay for**, and composes with your **other
tools** — calendar, weather, Slack, smart home — which an in-car assistant tied
to Tesla's stack isn't positioned to do. If your day runs through Claude or
ChatGPT, that's where you want your car too.

## FAQ

**Does using mytesla.io interfere with Grok?**
No. They're independent. Grok is Tesla's in-car assistant; mytesla.io is an
external MCP service. Both use the car through official channels.

**Can Grok pre-condition my car from home like mytesla.io?**
Today Grok is centered on in-car questions and navigation. Remote climate and
charging automation composed with your calendar is what mytesla.io is for.

**Do I need a specific Tesla to use mytesla.io?**
Any Tesla that supports the Fleet API and Vehicle Command Protocol (roughly
2018+ Model S/3/X/Y) — Grok's newer-hardware requirement doesn't apply.

## Next steps

- [The AI assistant for your Tesla](/tesla-ai-assistant)
- [Precondition your Tesla automatically](/precondition-tesla-from-calendar)
- [Control your Tesla with Claude](/control-tesla-with-claude) ·
  [with ChatGPT](/control-tesla-with-chatgpt)
- [Get started at mytesla.io →](https://mcp.mytesla.io/signup?src=guide-vs-grok&plan=driver)