Tesla’s Mainstream Model Y Gets A Feature Hyundai EVs Have Had For Years

Tesla Model Y Premium buyers in the U.S. can now pay $80 to get an adapter that enables power export. Hyundai EVs offer it for free.

Photo by: Mack Hogan/InsideEVs

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

Aug 17, at 3:07am ET

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New Tesla Model Y Premium EVs sold in the U.S. can now export energy from their high-voltage batteries.
The feature had previously been introduced on the Model Y Performance and Model Y L.
An optional $80 adapter is required, and power output is capped at 2.4 kW.

Tesla has added vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality to its mid-tier Model Y Premium electric crossover in the United States and Puerto Rico. The mainstream version of the company’s best-selling car can now export up to 2.4 kilowatts through an optional adapter that offers two 120-volt outlets.

Tesla hasn’t announced the change on any of its official communication channels, but the online configurator now shows the cost-extra adapter available for the Model Y Premium in the U.S., which was not the case before. That said, the feature is still not available on Model Ys sold in Canada and Europe.

The Outlet Adapter can be added as a cost-extra option in the Model Y Premium online configurator.

Photo by: InsideEVs

The Outlet Adapter, which costs $80, plugs into the mobile charger that’s supplied with all Model Y purchases. The mobile charger plugs into the car’s NACS port, and instead of having a wall connector on the other side, there are two outlets that can deliver 20 amperes combined.

Tesla has been quite slow in rolling out V2L functionality to its vehicles. Despite being the biggest player in the EV game in the United States, the company first introduced the feature with the Cybertruck. The Model Y Performance followed late last year, and the recently introduced Model Y L ticked that box when it debuted stateside last month.

The addition of the Model Y Premium in this rather select club is welcome, but there are still some caveats to Tesla’s approach. For starters, the company forces owners to pay extra for the adapter that enables V2L, as there are no built-in outlets in the Model Y. What’s more, the 2.4 kW output is quite limited and can only power essential appliances during an outage. There’s no vehicle-to-home (V2H) support here, so owners will need a long extension cable to keep a fridge running.

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A lot of other EVs made by legacy automakers feature V2L, and they can usually export more power. Some also offer one or more built-in outlets inside. Hyundai, for instance, has been offering V2L at up to 3.6 kW on the Ioniq 5 since its introduction here in 2021, with a standard adapter that plugs into the charge port included in the box.

It’s also worth noting that the entry-level Tesla Model Y, previously known as the Standard, still doesn’t offer V2L. The same goes for all Model 3 versions, which is really a bummer, seeing how such a simple feature can make life a lot easier when the lights go out.