Tesla is opening up Powerwall house battery gross sales, practically two years after limiting them as a result of its provide was “too low.”
Tesla introduced its backup battery tech way back, in 2015, explicitly intending for the product to work in tandem with photo voltaic panels. But up till 2021, the automaker additionally allowed of us to purchase the large batteries individually. Finally, Elon Musk clarified that offer points had been responsible for the restrictions, however the government teased in 2022 that “ordering a Powerwall by itself ought to be attainable” by the top of the 12 months.
Some months apparently delayed, that is now occurring — with caveats.
Tesla mentioned this week that it’s now promoting Powerwalls individually “in choose US markets.” The corporate hasn’t put out an official record of those markets, so far as we will inform, however its web site gives a approach for potential customers to see if their tackle has been whitelisted.
For instance: I typed in my Los Angeles tackle, and Tesla’s website responded: “We’re assessing the place to service subsequent. Reserve your Powerwall to assist us broaden into your space.” Nevertheless, the machine does appear to be obtainable individually in different areas, similar to Austin, Texas.
Tesla’s concentrate on Texas isn’t any coincidence. The corporate relocated to Austin in 2021. A 12 months later, Tesla launched its invite-only electrical plan in elements of Texas the place retail selection is accessible, together with Houston and Dallas. As we wrote in December, the plan is named Tesla Electrical and it’s completely obtainable to Powerwall havers. Tesla just lately instructed buyers that it intends to broaden its electrical plan to different markets, however the firm was obscure about it, like all the time. With that in thoughts, it’s believable that Tesla is doing this as a part of its plan to develop Tesla Electrical.
You could be questioning, “Why would somebody desire a Powerwall sans photo voltaic? The stand-alone machine may very well be interesting to of us who aren’t in a really perfect spot for solar, or for individuals who don’t wish to pay for photo voltaic and a house battery all of sudden. As we noticed at CES 2023, a lot of firms appear to imagine that demand for backup batteries and turbines is on the rise — and certainly excessive climate occasions linked to local weather change may very well be driving curiosity.