Tesla Cybertruck Can Finally Power Your House: Powershare Home Backup Goes Live

When Cybertruck deliveries started three years ago, Tesla pitched the truck as a giant battery on wheels that could keep your house running through an outage. That feature — Vehicle-to-Home, or V2H — is finally here. Tesla announced on one of its official X accounts that Powershare Home Backup is now rolling out, letting the Cybertruck's high-voltage pack feed your home when the grid goes down. There's an asterisk, though: for now, you need a Powerwall 3 and a Tesla Wall Connector to make it work.

What happened

Tesla confirmed that the Cybertruck can now power a house during an outage through a Powerwall system. The functionality lets owners pull energy stored in the truck's battery to keep the lights, fridge, and everything else running — the same headline capability Tesla advertised back when the first production Cybertrucks reached customers.

Several owners have reported getting emails from Tesla asking them to complete a survey before the feature is switched on for their system, so the rollout looks staged rather than instant. If you have the right hardware and haven't heard anything yet, check your inbox.

What you actually need

The requirements are specific, and this is where a lot of Cybertruck owners will find out they're not eligible yet:

• A Powerwall 3. Tesla's latest home battery is the only stationary storage system supported at launch. One Powerwall 3 kit runs $16,000 including installation.
• A Tesla Wall Connector. The same home charger you already use to charge the truck is what handles the power export.
• The right software. Tesla appears to be enabling Powershare Home Backup system by system, after that owner survey.

Older systems aren't left out forever. Tesla said on the official Cybertruck X account that support for the Powerwall 2 and Powerwall+ is coming by the end of the year.

How much power you get

According to Tesla, adding a Cybertruck to a Powerwall 3 setup can extend home backup by more than three days — which the company says is equivalent to nine additional Powerwalls. That's a serious buffer for a multi-day storm outage, and it's the strongest practical argument yet for the "truck as home generator" idea.

On the output side, both the Powerwall 3 and the Cybertruck's power export feature handle up to 11.5 kilowatts on AC. That's enough headroom for pretty much any normal household scenario, including an HVAC system and the usual kitchen loads running at the same time.

"A first of its kind, ambitious feature to seamlessly integrate two different energy sources into one cohesive grid through the same wall connector used for charging." — Wes Morrill, Cybertruck lead engineer

How this differs from the 2024 version

This isn't Tesla's first crack at Cybertruck home backup. Back in 2024, a software update enabled the truck to power a house through a Powershare Gateway paired with a Universal Wall Connector. The difference is the battery: the Powershare Gateway doesn't have one, so it leans entirely on the Cybertruck's pack for backup energy. With a Powerwall 3 in the mix, the house has its own storage and the truck becomes a range extender for your home — which is why Tesla can claim multi-day backup instead of hours.

Why it matters

V2H is quietly becoming a real buying consideration rather than a spec-sheet curiosity. General Motors has been pushing similar solutions for its new-generation EVs, with systems starting at $5,599 for a bundle that doesn't include a bidirectional charger or batteries, and topping out at $11,897 for an all-in-one kit with charger, inverter, and a basic home battery — installation extra. GM currently lists 11 V2H-compatible EVs, including the new Chevrolet Bolt, America's cheapest new electric car at under $30,000.

Tesla's math looks different depending on where you start. The cheapest Cybertruck, the Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive, is a little over $75,000. The battery-less bundle that enables V2H for the truck is $1,970 before installation, while the full Powerwall 3 route is $16,000 installed. If you already own a Cybertruck and a Powerwall 3, though, this update costs you nothing — it's a capability you paid for three years ago finally showing up.

What this means for EV owners

The practical takeaway: your home charging hardware is no longer just about filling the battery. It's the gateway for energy flowing back out, too. If you have the Tesla-specific stack, this is a software-and-survey situation — nothing to buy.

For everyone else, it's a reminder that home charging setup is worth getting right. A well-organized garage charging station means the cable you rely on every night isn't a tangled mess on the floor — a simple charging cable organizer for Tesla keeps your connector mounted, protected, and ready. If you're still charging on a mobile connector and a 120V outlet, a proper Level 2 unit from our EV chargers collection will cut your overnight charge times dramatically. Just note that Powershare Home Backup specifically requires Tesla's own Wall Connector — a third-party Level 2 charger will charge your truck beautifully, but it won't export power back to the house.

Cybertruck owners outfitting the rest of the truck for outage season and road trips can browse the full Cybertruck accessories collection for storage, interior organization, and 12V and USB power gear that makes the truck more useful when it's parked and working as a generator.

The bottom line

Powershare Home Backup is the Cybertruck feature that took the longest to arrive, and it lands with real numbers behind it: 11.5 kW of AC output and more than three extra days of backup on top of a Powerwall 3. The catch is the hardware list — Powerwall 3 and a Tesla Wall Connector today, with Powerwall 2 and Powerwall+ support promised by the end of the year. If you've been sitting on a Cybertruck waiting for the truck to earn its keep during storm season, the wait is basically over.