A video has emerged online showing a Tesla Cybertruck seemingly powering a gas station after the Houston tornado. The Houston area was battered by a line of severe thunderstorms earlier this week, and one EF-1 tornado was confirmed near Cypress. Due to the severe weather, over a million customers were left without power, as noted in a FOX Weather report.
Amidst posts about the devastation brought by the Houston storms, a video shared on TikTok stood out. As noted by the clip’s uploader, power has been cut in the area, but a kroozin gas station was still operational. At the end of the video, the TikTok user showed that the store — or at least parts of it — was operational because it was hooked up to a Tesla Cybertruck.
🤯 Cybertruck powering a gas station in Houston after the tornnado 🔋⚡️
— S.E. Robinson, Jr. (@SERobinsonJr) May 18, 2024
📹 by TikTok u/misssbaaah pic.twitter.com/NhG4gzagNN
The video was received with equal amounts of shock and skepticism online. Some critics argued that there was no way the Cybertruck could properly support a whole store, while others claimed that the all-electric pickup truck would probably run out of battery in just a few minutes. Electric vehicle supporters, on the other hand, appreciated the video as it showed one of the Cybertruck’s key functions in a real-world setting.
The Cybertruck’s Powershare is unique to the all-electric pickup truck among Tesla’s current lineup of vehicles. As per Tesla’s official website, the Cybertruck’s Powershare feature could provide power on the go with its two 120V outlets (up to 20A) and one 240V outlet (up to 40A) in the cargo bed, all of which can supply up to 9.6 kW. The Cybertruck can also automatically provide backup power to a home with 11.5 kW of power for up to three days, at least based on energy usage of 30 kWh per day.
Interestingly enough, the TikTok video was not the only post about a Tesla Cybertruck becoming useful during the Houston storms. As shared by a member of the Cybertruck Owners Club, the all-electric pickup truck’s Powershare feature became particularly useful after high winds and a tornado took out power in his neighborhood. The Tesla owner noted that the Cybertruck was able to provide ample power to his entire home, including air conditioning in every room.
Watch the Tesla Cybertruck help power a gas station in the video below.
@misssbaaah A #cybertruck coming through after #houstontornado. #fyp #xyzbcafypシ #houstontx #crazyweather #tornado #storm #outage #houstonweather #thunderstorm #tesla @ABC13 Houston ♬ original sound – Misbaah
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