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While electric power is relatively inexpensive nowadays, electric cars aren't

April 2, 2018 by Catherine Pope

While electric power is relatively inexpensive nowadays, electric cars aren't the only type of vehicle to have limited batteries. The next generation of high-capacity, high-speed, high-demand electric cars could also be used to deliver power to the grid from a power source other than the grid. Tesla Powerpacks are expected to provide more power in short periods, with a few days to spare.

A Tesla Powerpack that's built from the ground up to power a Tesla Model S

Tesla Powerpack power cells are made from a combination of lithium-ion battery cells (which are often used in electric cars) and a proprietary system built into the battery with a different manufacturing process than conventional batteries can.

Tesla, one of the largest electric car manufacturers in the world, sells the battery packs as part of its Model 3 lineup. It has an average of more than 20,000 Powerpacks in storage at its headquarters in Fremont, California.

Tesla's Powerpacks are modular, and a press release from Electrify America says that the company may add more Powerpacks to certain locations over time. Giovanni Palazzo, CEO of Electrify America, said in the same press release: “With our chargers offering high power levels, it makes sense for us to use batteries at our most high demand stations for peak shaving to operate more efficiently. Tesla’s Powerpack system is a natural fit given their global expertise in both battery storage development and EV charging.

Tesla Powerpacks are the first battery pack to be built from a traditional silicon-based process.