A yet-to-be-released feature which will allow Tesla owners to charge their vehicles using their home’s solar power installation has been revealed in a mobile app update.
While the new option has yet to be implemented into the app, newly added code in the most recent update states: “Plug in your vehicle at home during the day to charge using the excess clean energy generated by your solar system.” Details on the upcoming feature, such as a launch date, have yet to be released, however the move would be consistent with the automaker’s recent pushes into green or sustainable power.
During Tesla’s Investor Day, CEO Elon Musk discussed a variety of renewable energy initiatives, mainly focusing on increasing the world’s energy storage capacity. During the event, the EV brand also revealed a new subscription service which allows drivers to charge their vehicles overnight without a maximum limit. Given these new additions, the eventual integration of solar power charging, while not concrete, is likely to arrive sooner rather than later.
Regardless, it should be noted that this feature has already been available to Tesla owners for some time. Drivers in the U.S. have had the capability to charge their EVs using their house’s solar power installation for at least several years. Multiple devices already exist which allow homeowners to direct excess energy produced by their system to their car’s battery rather than into the electric grid. Given the lack of available details, it is unclear whether Tesla will be introducing its own separately sold charging device, or if this new feature will only be available to customers of “Tesla Electric,” the automaker’s recently created power company.
