All posts tagged: Powerwall

We talk home batteries with Franklin WH CEO Gary Lam

We talk home batteries with Franklin WH CEO Gary Lam

Published by skeptic

On today’s charged up episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Franklin WH co-founder and CEO Gary Lam here to talk us through some of the benefits of a home battery system, and what it takes to make the most of one – with, or even without a home solar panel system. We published an article last week explaining how home battery systems could be used to reduce energy bills, add lasting value to your home, and more – and it got the attention of Franklin WH’s Gary Lam, who helped with some updates and generously offered to take the time to answer some of my questions on today’s episode. Enjoy! Source Links Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. New episodes of Quick Charge are (allegedly) recorded several times per week, most weeks. We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage podcast series. Advertisement – scroll for more …

Tesla announces Powerwall 3P with native three-phase inverter

Tesla announces Powerwall 3P with native three-phase inverter

Published by skeptic

Tesla has announced the Powerwall 3P, a new variant of its home battery with a native three-phase inverter built into a single unit. The product, announced for the German market first, eliminates the clunky workaround that previously required European homeowners to install up to three separate Powerwalls to achieve whole-home backup on the continent’s standard three-phase residential grids. Sign-ups are now live on Tesla’s website. Why three-phase matters In North America, most homes run on single-phase power, and a single Powerwall 3 handles whole-home backup without issue. Europe is different. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and most of the continent wire residential properties with three-phase power, which is more efficient, economical to install, and supports higher power demands. Until now, Tesla’s answer to this was inelegant. The standard Powerwall 3 supports only single-phase backup per unit, meaning European customers needed to stack three units, one per phase, to cover their entire home. At roughly $15,400 per unit before incentives in the US (European pricing varies), that tripled the cost and complexity of installation. The Powerwall 3P consolidates …

Electric take on winter weather while Tesla’s sales slide continues

Electric take on winter weather while Tesla’s sales slide continues

Published by skeptic

On today’s icy cold episode of Quick Charge, the only thing colder than the air outside most Americans’ homes is the demand for Tesla Cybertrucks – so we’ve got some EV-focused tips on making it through the cold while Elon begins shipping CTs overseas. We’ve got plenty of tips for home solar and backup battery systems today, as well as some links to older posts about vehicle-to-home capable systems and, of course, some cold weather driving tips for EV drivers who may not be used to these chilly conditions. All that, Tesla sales, and some big batteries in North Carolina – enjoy! Source Links Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. New episodes of Quick Charge are (allegedly) recorded several times per week, most weeks. We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage podcast series. Advertisement – scroll for more content Got news? Let us know!Drop us a …

It’s time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives

It’s time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives

Published by skeptic

Image generated using AI. For years, Tesla Powerwall has been the go-to recommendation for “normals” looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first home solar and battery backup solutions. But with a recent recall on more than 10,000 home batteries over fire safety concerns following a year (or more) of CEO Elon Musk’s political antics, more and more people are beginning to look for alternatives to the trailblazing Tesla tech. The good news: there are plenty of other great home solar battery solutions are there! UPDATE 28DEC2025: a 2026 CES Innovation Award winner makes the list. Electricians and contractors often praise the sleek, energy-dense Tesla Powerwall, for good reasons. But the Powerwall isn’t the only top-shelf home battery on the market, but long wait times, Elon’s antics, and the proliferation of really good integrated alternatives from legacy EV brands might have you shopping for Tesla alternatives already. If that’s you, the next logical step is to re-think the brand’s solar battery offerings as well – here are some of the best options out there. As I was putting …