The Tesla Model 3 And Model Y Can Now Power Your Home In A Blackout

Before this, Tesla's Powershare feature was only available on the Cybertruck.

Photo by: Tesla

By: Tim Levin

Oct 6, at 6:03pm ET

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The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y just got one of the best features electric cars offer.
New models can help power an owner's home in the event of a blackout.
But you'll need to buy pricey hardware for the feature to work.

America's favorite EVs just gained a very handy feature. The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y can now help back up your home in a blackout, the company announced Tuesday.

Before, Tesla's only model with vehicle-to-home (V2H) capability was the Cybertruck. Now the Model 3 and Model Y join a growing list of EVs that can use their big battery packs as, essentially, emergency generators. Those include lots of Chevy and Cadillac EVs, plus the Kia EV9 and Nissan Leaf.

But not just any Model 3 or Model Y will be able to feed power back to your home, and the Powershare feature won't work with all home charging setups.

Tesla says the feature works in vehicles bought on or after October 1, and in select vehicles purchased before then too.

It also requires a Powerwall, which is Tesla's battery-storage system, plus a Wall Connector. The Powerwall 3 costs around $15,000 (including installation), while a Tesla Wall Connector costs $585. Once the whole system is installed, Tesla says the Model 3 or Model Y can output 15 kW back to the home.

Since the Cybertruck includes an onboard DC-to-AC converter, it doesn't require as elaborate or expensive a setup to function as a backup power source. Cybertruck owners need only install a Universal Wall Connector and a Powershare Gateway. They're available for $1,970 via Tesla's Powershare Home Backup Bundle.

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If you already have a Powerwall, then the idea of backing up your home using your Model 3 or Model Y may not be terribly exciting. Still, Tesla says that by hooking up a Powershare-equipped vehicle into this system, owners can extend the duration of their backup power by 2 days. That assumes household energy usage of 30 kWh per day.

Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com