Tesla Cybertruck can power your home with its new Powershare product, but we are now starting to get an idea of the cost. The installation alone is about $4000.
When Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck late in the year, the automaker finally confirmed it was its first bi-directional charging-capable vehicle.
The feature allows Cbertruck owners to use the battery pack in trucks for more than just driving the vehicle. They can power virtually anything from the outlets in the bed of the vehicle, even another electric vehicle.
But through Tesla’s new Powershare product, Tesla Cybertruck owners can also power their homes in case of an outage.
The company previously said that Powerwall owners already have the required hardware to use the feature, and if not, you can use Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector ($595) and a Gateway ($1,800). Thought the automaker also unveiled a new ‘Powershare Mobile Connector’.
While Cybertrucks deliveries have been going for a few months, Tesla has yet to start enabling its Powershare feature. It started sending surveys about Powershare to buyers a few weeks ago in order to figure out who could be eligible based on their home and electrical situation.
The main thing we are missing is the price.
Electrek talked to a few Cybertruck owners and reservation holders who are in the process of getting Powershare installed, and it’s not cheap.
Currently, all Cybertruck buyers are getting the “Powershare hardware” included for free, but some have to pay for installation.
Tesla is currently only delivering Foundation Series Cybertrucks with two options: AWD or Cyberbeast. Those getting the AWD have to pay for the installation, which is going through a pre-determined Tesla-certified installer, and therefore, there’s not much negotiation on pricing.
Cyberbeast buyers are going through the same process, but they are getting a $4,000 installation rebate, which indicates Tesla expects installation costs to average about $4,000. However, some Cybertruck buyers are already reporting higher installation costs, which vary greatly depending on your home and electrical situation.
Cybertruck owners who are getting closer to installation are also confirming that Tesla is only enabling Powershare for backup power for now. It means the feature can only be activated when your house is off-grid, like in a power outage.
A Cybertruck could likely power a home for a full day in an outage with some power consumption management on the homeowner’s side.
Technically, Powershare could also offer some peak shaving service to unload power into the grid when needed, but it’s not clear when or even if Tesla will get into that.
Electrek’s Take
Powershare is something that sounds like a great idea, and it is, but I’m not sure what the take-rate will be.
It will likely be higher with early adopters who are getting the Foundation Series because you are getting the hardware for free so you feel like you will be leaving money on the table if you don’t pay the installation cost, but it’s not inexpensive either.
Now, it is much cheaper than a Powerwall or a good gas generator, but it’s also not as practical because you also don’t necessarily want to deplete your vehicle’s battery pack in case of an outage. That, and battery degradation, is probably why Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself was never hot the feature even though Tesla ended up launching it.
We are at the very beginning of this kind of product, with Ford and Tesla leading the charge right now. It will be interesting to see how it evolves.
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