Energy
Tesla poised to unlock vehicle-to-grid abilities with ‘bi-directional’ charging systems
It appears that Tesla is building up to the eventual release of vehicle to grid (V2G) features for its fleet. Hints of this technology could be seen in the codes within the company’s vehicles, as well as the recent findings of Cruise Staff fleet Reliability Engineer Marco Gaxiola, who happened to perform an analysis of Tesla’s electric vehicle charger for the Model 3.
For the most part, Tesla has been pretty quiet about its intentions to roll out a vehicle to grid feature for its fleet. Elon Musk mentioned that it may be worth revisiting V2G in a tweet back in July 2018, but he has been quite silent about the technology since then. That being said, Tesla hacker-enthusiast @greentheonly mentioned that some references to V2G have actually been in the company’s vehicles for over a year.
Among this is the presence of logic that would allow DC to flow out of a Tesla’s battery pack. The hacker-enthusiast summed up his observations as follows “There’s logic to allow DC to flow out the battery pack. So you can supply an external grid-tie invertor with that and let it do the rest of the magic. Making it part of the HPWC would make a lot of sense in my view,” he wrote.
Vehicle to grid features are not new in the EV sphere. The Nissan Leaf, one of the first mainstream electric cars, had this feature, though its V2G technology could be used more like a manual backup power supply. This made the Leaf’s V2G solutions rather limited. But when V2G is taken at scale, and if vehicles are in smart communication with the power grid, things become a lot more compelling.
Back in 2015, Tesla CTO JB Straubel noted that once there are a million Teslas on the road, the fleet could actually have significant controllable load capacity. This milestone was reached recently by Tesla, with the company producing its millionth vehicle, a red Model Y Performance, earlier this year. And considering that Tesla is now taking on the mainstream market with the Model Y and Model 3, there is a good chance that the growth of its fleet would only accelerate over time. If Tesla were to roll out V2G features for its cars, now, or the near future, would be a preferable time to do it.
But this is not all. In a recent statement to Electrek, Cruise Staff fleet Reliability Engineer Marco Gaxiola noted that the Model 3’s charger has the necessary technology to enable bidirectional charging features. Gaxiola came to his conclusions after doing a deep dive on the Model 3 charger. “What I learned on reverse engineering the Model 3 charger, was that the design is fully bidirectional. This means power can be converted from AC to DC the same way as the previous example, but also power can flow in reverse direction, coming from the battery and ending up on the AC side,” he told the publication.
In a following LinkedIn post, the Cruise engineer noted that Tesla would likely be able to roll out its V2G features to its fleet through a software update. This could open up a lot of opportunities for electric car owners, as they could actually sell some of their vehicles’ power back to the grid.
“I believe this will be a big game changer for all the car companies looking to get into the EV market. But will also be an interesting new road to get into the utility market. Imagine that you own this vehicle, and one morning you receive an update notification that will enable this feature, which will convert your vehicle into an energy storage V2G/V2V smart system with wheels.
“You will technically be able to take energy from any AC outlet at a good rate (via your traditional L1 or L2 wall charger) and later then drive somewhere else, plug back again into another L1/L2 charger, but instead of charging you could potentially sell some of your Tesla juice back at a higher rate. This, without the need of any electrical modifications on your Tesla/Non-Tesla wall charger,” Gaxiola wrote.
Energy
Tesla Powerwall distribution expands in Australia
Inventory is expected to arrive in late February and official sales are expected to start mid-March 2026.
Supply Partners Group has secured a distribution agreement for the Tesla Powerwall in Australia, with inventory expected to arrive in late February and official sales beginning in mid-March 2026.
Under the new agreement, Supply Partners will distribute Tesla Powerwall units and related accessories across its national footprint, as noted in an ecogeneration report. The company said the addition strengthens its position as a distributor focused on premium, established brands.
“We are proud to officially welcome Tesla Powerwall into the Supply Partners portfolio,” Lliam Ricketts, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation at Supply Partners Group, stated.
“Tesla sets a high bar, and we’ve worked hard to earn the opportunity to represent a brand that customers actively ask for. This partnership reflects the strength of our logistics, technical services and customer experience, and it’s a win for installers who want premium options they can trust.”
Supply Partners noted that initial Tesla Powerwall stock will be warehoused locally before full commercial rollout in March. The distributor stated that the timing aligns with renewed growth momentum for the Powerwall, supported by competitive installer pricing, consumer rebates, and continued product and software updates.
“Powerwall is already a category-defining product, and what’s ahead makes it even more compelling,” Ricketts stated. “As pricing sharpens and capability expands, we see a clear runway for installers to confidently spec Powerwall for premium residential installs, backed by Supply Partners’ national distribution footprint and service model.”
Supply Partners noted that a joint go-to-market launch is planned, including Tesla-led training for its sales and technical teams to support installers during the home battery system’s domestic rollout.
Energy
Tesla Megapack Megafactory in Texas advances with major property sale
Stream Realty Partners announced the sale of Buildings 9 and 10 at the Empire West industrial park, which total 1,655,523 square feet.
Tesla’s planned Megapack factory in Brookshire, Texas has taken a significant step forward, as two massive industrial buildings fully leased to the company were sold to an institutional investor.
In a press release, Stream Realty Partners announced the sale of Buildings 9 and 10 at the Empire West industrial park, which total 1,655,523 square feet. The properties are 100% leased to Tesla under a long-term agreement and were acquired by BGO on behalf of an institutional investor.
The two facilities, located at 100 Empire Boulevard in Brookshire, Texas, will serve as Tesla’s new Megafactory dedicated to manufacturing Megapack battery systems.
According to local filings previously reported, Tesla plans to invest nearly $200 million into the site. The investment includes approximately $44 million in facility upgrades such as electrical, utility, and HVAC improvements, along with roughly $150 million in manufacturing equipment.
Building 9, spanning roughly 1 million square feet, will function as the primary manufacturing floor where Megapacks are assembled. Building 10, covering approximately 600,000 square feet, will be dedicated to warehousing and logistics operations, supporting storage and distribution of completed battery systems.
Waller County Commissioners have approved a 10-year tax abatement agreement with Tesla, offering up to a 60% property-tax reduction if the company meets hiring and investment targets. Tesla has committed to employing at least 375 people by the end of 2026, increasing to 1,500 by the end of 2028, as noted in an Austin County News Online report.
The Brookshire Megafactory will complement Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory in California and expand U.S. production capacity for the utility-scale energy storage unit. Megapacks are designed to support grid stabilization and renewable-energy integration, a segment that has become one of Tesla’s fastest-growing businesses.
Energy
Tesla meets Giga New York’s Buffalo job target amid political pressures
Giga New York reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease.
Tesla has surpassed its job commitments at Giga New York in Buffalo, easing pressure from lawmakers who threatened the company with fines, subsidy clawbacks, and dealership license revocations last year.
The company reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease at the state-built facility.
As per an employment report reviewed by local media, Tesla employed 2,399 full-time workers at Gigafactory New York and 1,060 additional employees across the state at the end of 2025. Part-time roles pushed the total headcount of Tesla’s New York staff above the 3,460-job target.
The gains stemmed in part from a new Long Island service center, a Buffalo warehouse, and additional showrooms in White Plains and Staten Island. Tesla also said it has invested $350 million in supercomputing infrastructure at the site and has begun manufacturing solar panels.
Empire State Development CEO Hope Knight said the agency was “very happy” with Giga New York’s progress, as noted in a WXXI report. The current lease runs through 2029, and negotiations over updated terms have included potential adjustments to job requirements and future rent payments.
Some lawmakers remain skeptical, however. Assemblymember Pat Burke questioned whether the reported job figures have been fully verified. State Sen. Patricia Fahy has also continued to sponsor legislation that would revoke Tesla’s company-owned dealership licenses in New York. John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany has argued that the project has not delivered the manufacturing impact originally promised as well.
Knight, for her part, maintained that Empire State Development has been making the best of a difficult situation.
“(Empire State Development) has tried to make the best of a very difficult situation. There hasn’t been another use that has come forward that would replace this one, and so to the extent that we’re in this place, the fact that 2,000 families at (Giga New York) are being supported through the activity of this employer. It’s the best that we can have happen,” the CEO noted.
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