Tesla has opened Powershare Home Backup to the Model 3 and Model Y, which means its two highest-volume cars can now help power a house during a grid outage. Until now, only the Cybertruck could do it. Tesla Energy announced the change on October 6, 2026, saying the feature is available for new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles paired with a Powerwall 3 and can extend home backup by over two days.
The eligibility rules deserve a careful read. Tesla guarantees the feature on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles ordered in the United States and Puerto Rico on or after October 1, 2026. Some earlier cars also qualify because they already carry the PCS2 Lite inverter that handles bidirectional power, but Tesla says that applies to some vehicles and not all of them. Owners can check by opening Controls, then Software, then Additional Vehicle Information on the touchscreen and looking for a Powershare Support line. The home needs a Powerwall 3 along with a Universal Wall Connector or a Wall Connector Gen 3, and owners who already have that equipment contact Tesla support to have the feature turned on. Tesla's estimate of over two days assumes a home using about 30 kWh per day and a car starting at a 90 percent charge, and the company lists continuous output of up to 11.52 kW. Powerwall 2 and Powerwall+ support is described as coming soon, Model S and Model X are not included, and Grid Support remains limited to the Cybertruck.
For business owners, the practical value is longer runtime. Many small offices are run from an owner's home, or they depend on someone who works remotely when the weather turns. If that home already has a Powerwall 3, an eligible car in the garage can keep the modem, router, firewall, and a small server or NAS running well past the point where a single battery would give out. That extra time can mean the difference between a clean shutdown and a corrupted file share, and it keeps remote access available while crews restore power.
The same thinking applies at a commercial site. Backup power only helps when the right circuits are on it, so an office should know which equipment sits on a battery or UPS, how long each device can last, and whether the internet provider's own gear stays up during an outage. A car in the driveway does not replace a tested UPS, a verified backup, or a written plan for who shuts down what and in which order.
If your company is weighing how an outage would affect your network, My I.T. Consultants can help Mabank companies and offices across East Texas map out which equipment needs protection and how long it has to last. Hourly work is available during our posted weekday hours, contract customers have coverage around the clock, and a call to 903-675-5431 is an easy way to start that conversation.
Image: Tesla
