A journalist shared his honest review of Tesla's third-generation Powerwall, revealing the good and the bad of the power system.
Leon Poultney, writing for TechRadar, tried out the latest model at a property in North West England fitted with Powerwall 3 and solar panels. "I was pleasantly surprised by how compact Tesla's system proved to be," he said, noting that he'd expected a large unit on the side of the home, not the "sleek white box" he saw.
Poultney felt that the system was easy to use, joking that it was "idiot-proof." He also noted that a user-friendly app offers a clear breakdown of how much energy is being used and whether it's being pulled from solar or the grid.
One major benefit Poultney noted was Powerwall's "Storm Watch" feature, which monitors incoming severe weather and automatically charges the battery to full capacity to prepare for outages.
A Florida resident also recently praised Powerwall 2's capabilities during Hurricane Milton, sharing on Reddit that they were "using the house as normal while everyone around us is hot and fighting to get gas for their generator. If you were on the fence, and live in Florida, I recommend it."
Poultney noted that cost could be an issue for interested customers, with an initial outlay of around $13,000 for installation. However, Tesla predicts that you can save roughly $1,800 per year on energy bills, specifically when paired with solar power.
By Poultney's calculations, it will take about 11 years to break even on adding it to your home, and he noted that Tesla's estimate may be a tad high, citing Uswitch, a U.K.-based energy comparison site, whose estimate is closer to $1,050.
While a fan of the technology overall, Poultney acknowledged Tesla CEO Elon Musk's polarizing role as an adviser in the U.S. federal government and wondered whether there was a way to bring costs down, writing: "It feels like we are back in the early days of electric vehicles again. A technology that's reserved for the wealthy early adopters that are willing to swallow the significant upfront costs."
However, for interested parties, there are incentives that can cut down on those costs, including a rebate program in Queensland, Australia. At this time, the Inflation Reduction Act also offers incentives in the U.S., although the legislation's future is uncertain, as President Donald Trump has indicated he doesn't foresee it fitting into his administration's long-term plans.
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