Tesla’s ‘Charge on Solar’ Allows Powerwall Owners to Transfer Excess Energy to Electric Vehicles
Tesla has introduced a new feature called “Charge on Solar” that enables Tesla owners to charge their electric vehicles using surplus solar energy. Initially tested in May, the capability is now more widely accessible to Tesla customers in the US and Canada. However, the feature is currently limited to owners of newer Teslas (2021 and later) who also possess a Powerwall, Tesla’s battery system that stores solar energy generated by solar panels.
To enable Charge on Solar, users must launch their Tesla app, select the feature, and set it up. They will then see a slider in the feature settings with a sun icon that they can drag left or right to set the download limit. As usual, the vehicle charges from the sun and the grid before reaching the solar shelter, ensuring users have enough power to get where they need to go. But after reaching the solar slider, the vehicle only charges with excess solar energy.
The Powerwall will still prioritize storing back-up energy or charging other devices when in Storm Watch mode before allocating excess solar energy to charge the vehicle. Charge on Solar really only charges EVs with excess energy, so owners worried about not having enough juice can set a time limit for it. Of course, they can also adjust their charge limit or turn Charge on Solar off completely if they want to be absolutely sure that their batteries are fully charged.
