Elon Musk has revealed that Tesla is working on a consumer battery pack for the home.
Tesla’s battery design is something of a legend, allowing its 100 percent electric cars to travel hundreds of miles at high speeds – so the idea of it being used to power home appliances is an exciting one.
Musk mentioned the home battery during a Tesla Motors earnings call, saying its design was finished and that production could begin in six months. He didn’t reveal specific details about the device, but The Verge speculates that it could be used as, essentially, a backup generator during emergencies – already an alternative use of the Nissan Leaf’s battery.
Owners of the hydrogen fuel cell-powered Toyota Mirai can already remove its battery and use it to power their homes. One charge can supply enough energy to run an average home for about a week. We’d expect Tesla’s battery to outlast that, but at present there’s no indication of its capabilities or functionality. Would you have to charge it at a Tesla Supercharger station, or could you top it up using your home’s existing electrical supply?
Hopefully Musk will reveal more soon. Either way, South Africans are in for a wait when it comes to battery-powered homes. But that day cannot come soon enough.
Source: The Verge
