Tesla is letting drivers use a totally new way to charge their electric vehicles (EVs).
As first teased by Not a Tesla App in May ahead of a July launch, the company's Charge on Solar feature allows users to charge their vehicles using excess solar energy from their home panels.
This feature permits users with Tesla Poweralls to set a minimum charge for their vehicle when they plug it into their home network. Then on top of that, users can use the Charge on Solar slider to select the maximum charge they would like to use from their home solar array. The feature requires a Powerwall to use.
If the vehicle passes the minimum charge using conventional power sources, it then uses the remaining power from a home solar array to complete its charge. The feature also allows users to charge from multiple solar stations, depending on their preferences.
The ability for users to utilize solar energy is just another way that Tesla is forging its path as the country's leading EV company. For consumers, this feature limits the amount of power that must be obtained from the existing electric grid, which is currently one of the significant limitations of EVs.
A feature like Charge on Solar allows flexibility and autonomy for consumers to decide what energy source is charging their EVs. Although the conventional grid provides the lion's share of the energy used to power Tesla vehicles currently, allowing consumers to charge using their home solar array allows homeowners to charge their vehicles without driving up their home electric bill.
In addition, in areas where net metering, the process by which homeowners can sell excess solar energy back to the grid, is not possible, the Charge on Solar feature may allow homeowners to make use of excess energy. Those individuals could use the sun's energy to power their trip to the grocery store, sports practice, or anywhere else they drive their Tesla.
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