Well, the wait is finally over.
Tesla Motors finally debuted a suite of new batteries designed specifically for businesses and homes on Thursday as part of its Tesla Energy venture. The Model S automaker has been hinting at these batteries for a while now and here's what you need to know about them.
What is it?
The home battery is called the "Powerwall" while the business option has been named the "Powerpack," and both are "completely sustainable, zero carbon," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during the launch event.
Batteries will be made at Tesla's car factory in California for now, but production is expected to move to its Nevada "Gigafactory" in 2016.
What does it do?
The Powerwall is available in 10kWh or 7kWh options though they're used for different reasons. The 10kWh is designed to provide owners with "backup" in the event the grid goes down, whereas the 7kWh is for daily cycling at all hours when teamed with solar power.
Musk said a 100 kWh Powerpack will eventually be available for businesses to power facilities of any size or even entire cities in developing countries if desired.
At about 3 feet across, 4 feet tall and 6 inches deep, the smallest battery option can be hung outside your home or inside your garage, according to Tesla. Owners will be able to track battery usage at any time since the Powerwall and Powerpack systems are connected to the internet.
Installation process:
Musk said during the debut event in L.A. that Tesla is working with "certified installers" for the Powerwall and installation should only take a two person crew no more than an hour to complete.
Tesla's main installation tag-team partner for this venture is SolarCity, which is also run by Musk, for the record.
Can I buy one?
You can buy your Powerwall battery online now, but they won't be officially released until sometime this summer. The Powerpack is not available for purchase yet, but businesses can expect them to become available on a limited basis before the end of 2015.
The base 10kWh Powerwall system costs $3,500 and the 7kWh goes for $3,000, not including inverter and installation fees.
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