Finally, bidirectional charging: Tesla Model 3 and Model Y can now power your home

What has been standard on the Ford F-150 Lightning since 2022 is finally coming to the Model 3 and Model Y: the ability to use an EV as a massive home battery and, for example, keep a home's electrical system running from the vehicle's battery during a power outage.

Until now, this was only available for the Cybertruck, but Tesla is now activating the Powershare Home Backup feature for the Model 3 and Model Y as well. However, it works exclusively with the Tesla Powerwall 3 in combination with a Wall Connector or Universal Wall Connector. Powerwall 2 and Powerwall+ are currently not supported, although that is expected to change in the future.

Another limitation concerns the difference between V2H (Vehicle-to-Home) and V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid). At the moment, the Tesla Powerwall 3 is essentially just a large stationary battery storage system for the home. The Model 3 can now serve as a massive additional Powerwall on wheels, but it cannot currently feed electricity back into the grid, meaning there is no V2G. As a result, the feature cannot be used to earn compensation based on grid demand.

Unfortunately, the feature is not being enabled on all models either. The many millions of vehicles that have already been delivered will not necessarily benefit from the feature. Tesla states that the feature is guaranteed only for new vehicles, meaning those ordered on or after October 1, 2026. Older vehicles only have the required hardware (PCS2 Lite) on some models. You can check the vehicle under Software - Additional Vehicle Information to see whether “Powershare Support” is listed.

For all customers in Germany: Unfortunately, the new feature is not only technically but also geographically limited, at least for now. Only the US and Puerto Rico are currently supported.