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Tesla Powerwall 2 gets included in Australia’s battery subsidy plan for 40k homes

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In a rather ironic twist, Tesla and its Powerwall 2 battery have been added to the list of choices for South Australia’s Home Battery Scheme, which aims to provide subsidies to 40,000 homes. The inclusion of the Powerwall 2 battery to the subsidy scheme comes amidst the ongoing progress of Tesla’s ambitious Virtual Power Plant in the region.

The update, which was recently reported by One Step Off The Grid, noted that Tesla’s 13.5kWh lithium-ion home battery systems are now eligible for the full AU$6,000 (US$4,300) subsidy offered by the SA government. As an additional means to attract buyers, Tesla has set up a temporary stall at the Rundle Mall in Adelaide, to showcase its battery storage technology. As noted by the Australian-based publication, though, customers are being informed that the installation of Powerwall 2 batteries would likely involve a lot of waiting.

Solar Quotes’ Ronald Brakels, who visited the Tesla pop-up store, was reportedly informed that there is an estimated 12-week waiting period for Powerwall 2 batteries. Brakels further added that he was quoted AU$9,300 (US$6,600) for the Powerwall 2 and the installation after the AU$6,000 (US$4,300) subsidy is applied. That’s still a substantial amount, and would likely be out of reach for some homeowners who are in need of a system that can lower their power bills.

This was among the concerns that were raised last year when South Australia’s Home Battery Scheme was announced as a possible replacement for Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant project. Not long after he was elected, South Australia premier Steven Marshall expressed his opposition to Tesla’s proposal of establishing a 250 MW/650 MWh virtual power plant comprised of 50,000 residential homes and Powerwall 2 batteries. As an alternative, Marshall proposed a subsidy program instead, which would lower the price of battery storage units for 40,000 homes.

“(Former Premier Jay Weatherill) was doing (Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant) for Housing Trust homes in South Australia… That’s not part of our plan. What we are going to do is provide a subsidy to get (those with) solar rooftops systems with some storage capacity,” Marshall said before shortly before he was sworn in last year.

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Marshall’s plan had stark differences with Tesla’s plan for a Virtual Power Plant. For one, the battery subsidy would be offered to homes that are already equipped with solar panels. Apart from this, homeowners would be required to purchase their own batteries, albeit at a discounted price. Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant, on the other hand, plans to provide solar panels and Powerwall 2 batteries to 25,000 Housing Trust households and 25,000 private low-income homes for free.

Seemingly after receiving flak for his lack of support for Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant, Marshall eventually took a softer stance on the project. By the end of May 2018, Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan announced that the South Australian government would be pursuing Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant and Marshall’s Home Battery Scheme side-by-side.

Since then, Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant has completed its first phase, which involves the installation of solar panels and batteries to the first 100 houses in the system. Marshall’s Home Battery Scheme, on the other hand, was launched last October, and is expected to add up to 400 MWh of storage to the state’s grid when complete. Ultimately, the 400 MWh from Marshall’s Home Battery Scheme would be a nice addition to the 650 MWh of energy storage that would be provided by Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant once all 50,000 residential units are connected and online.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla Energy is the world’s top global battery storage system provider again

Tesla Energy captured 15% of the battery storage segment’s global market share in 2024.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Energy held its top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year, capturing 15% of global market share in 2024, as per Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings.

Tesla Energy’s lead, however, is shrinking, as Chinese competitors like Sungrow are steadily increasing their global footprint, particularly in European markets.

Tesla Energy dominates in North America, but its lead is narrowing globally

Tesla Energy retained its leadership in the North American market with a commanding 39% share in 2024. Sungrow, though still ranked second in the region, saw its share drop from 17% to 10%. Powin took third place, even if the company itself filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, as noted in a Solar Power World report. 

On the global stage, Tesla Energy’s lead over Sungrow shrank from four points in 2023 to just one in 2024, indicating intensifying competition. Chinese firm CRRC came in third worldwide with an 8% share.

Wood Mackenzie ranked vendors based on MWh shipments with recognized revenue in 2024. According to analyst Kevin Shang, “Competition among established BESS integrators remains incredibly intense. Seven of the top 10 vendors last year struggled to expand their market share, remaining either unchanged or declining.”

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Chinese integrators surge in Europe, falter in U.S.

China’s influence on the BESS market continues to grow, with seven of the global top 10 BESS integrators now headquartered in the country. Chinese companies saw a 67% year-over-year increase in European market share, and four of the top 10 BESS vendors in Europe are now based in China. In contrast, Chinese companies’ market share in North America dropped more than 30%, from 23% to 16% amid Tesla Energy’s momentum and the Trump administration’s policies.

Wood Mackenzie noted that success in the global BESS space will hinge on companies’ ability to adapt to divergent regulations and geopolitical headwinds. “The global BESS integrator landscape is becoming increasingly complex, with regional trade policies and geopolitical tensions reshaping competitive dynamics,” Shang noted, pointing to Tesla’s maintained lead and the rapid ascent of Chinese rivals as signs of a shifting industry balance.

“While Tesla maintains its global leadership, the rapid rise of Chinese integrators in Europe and their dominance in emerging markets like the Middle East signals a fundamental shift in the industry. Success will increasingly depend on companies’ ability to navigate diverse regulatory environments, adapt to local market requirements, and maintain competitive cost structures across multiple regions,” the analyst added.

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Tesla inks multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution to avoid tariff pressure

Tesla has reportedly secured a sizable partnership with LGES for LFP cells, and there’s an extra positive out of it.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has reportedly inked a multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution in an effort to avoid tariff pressure and domesticate more of its supply chain.

Reuters is reporting that Tesla and LGES, a South Korean battery supplier of the automaker, signed a $4.3 billion deal for energy storage system batteries. The cells are going to be manufactured by LGES at its U.S. factory located in Michigan, the report indicates. The batteries will be the lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, chemistry.

Tesla delivers 384,000 vehicles in Q2 2025, deploys 9.6 GWh in energy storage

It is a move Tesla is making to avoid buying cells and parts from overseas as the Trump White House continues to use tariffs to prioritize domestic manufacturing.

LGES announced earlier today that it had signed a $4.3 billion contract to supply LFP cells over three years to a company, but it did not identify the customer, nor did the company state whether the batteries would be used in automotive or energy storage applications.

The deal is advantageous for both companies. Tesla is going to alleviate its reliance on battery cells that are built out of the country, so it’s going to be able to take some financial pressure off itself.

For LGES, the company has reported that it has experienced slowed demand for its cells in terms of automotive applications. It planned to offset this demand lag with more projects involving the cells in energy storage projects. This has been helped by the need for these systems at data centers used for AI.

During the Q1 Earnings Call, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja confirmed that the company’s energy division had been impacted by the need to source cells from China-based suppliers. He went on to say that the company would work on “securing additional supply chain from non-China-based suppliers.”

It seems as if Tesla has managed to secure some of this needed domestic supply chain.

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Tesla Shanghai Megafactory produces 1,000th Megapack for export to Europe

The Shanghai Megafactory was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the Megapack. 

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla Energy has announced a fresh milestone for its newest Megapack factory. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Shanghai Megafactory has successfully produced its 1,000th Megapack battery. 

The facility was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the grid-scale battery system. 

New Tesla Megapack Milestone

As per Tesla Asia in a post on its official accounts on social media platform X, the 1,000th Megapack unit that was produced at the Shanghai Megafactory would be exported to Europe. As noted in a CNEV Post report, Tesla’s energy products are currently deployed in over 65 countries and regions globally. This allows Tesla Energy to compete in energy markets that are both emerging and mature.

To commemorate the 1,000th Megapack produced at the Shanghai Megafactory, the Tesla China team posted with the grid-scale battery with celebratory balloons that spelled “Megapack 1000.” The milestone was celebrated by Tesla enthusiasts on social media, especially since the Shanghai Megafactory only started its operations earlier this year.

Quick Megafactory Ramp

The Shanghai Megafactory, similar to Tesla’s other key facilities in China, was constructed quickly. The facility started its construction on May 23, 2024, and it was hailed as Tesla’s first entry storage project outside the United States. Less than a year later, on February 11, 2025, the Shanghai Megafactory officially started producing Megapack batteries. And by March 21, 2025, Tesla China noted that it had shipped the first batch of Megapack batteries from the Shanghai plant to foreign markets.

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While the Shanghai Megafactory is still not at the same level of output as Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory, which produces about 10,000 Megapacks per year, its ramp seems to be quite steady and quick. It would then not be surprising if Tesla China announces the Shanghai Megafactory’s 2,000th Megapack milestone in the coming months.

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