Tesla partners with Octopus Energy on UK, Spain Powerwalls

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Tesla has partnered with Octopus Energy on deploying Powerwalls and creating distributed battery projects in two European countries.

According to a press release from Octopus Energy on Monday, the two companies have partnered to help deploy Tesla Powerwalls in the UK and Spain. The Powerwalls will use the Kraken distributed virtual power plant (VPP) platform, along with being fully integrated into smart tariffs like the company’s “Intelligent Octopus Flux.”

“Two energy tech giants are coming together to get the most out of clean tech in people’s homes,” said Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Octopus Energy’s Chief Product and Marketing Officer. “Now that Powerwall is integrated into Kraken, it will pass on further savings for customers while helping to balance the grid.”

Not unlike Tesla’s auto-bidder, the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff automatically charges owner’s batteries when grid prices are low, selling electricity back to the electrical grid during times of peak power use. The combination of Tesla’s Powerwall home batteries and the intelligent electricity trading platform is expected to be able to save owners around £250 (~$318) a year compared to standard import and export tariffs.

“This integration of Powerwall with Octopus Energy will increase value for homeowners while maintaining an excellent product experience,” said Colby Hastings, Tesla’s Director of Residential Energy. “We are excited to collaborate with Octopus as we work towards powering the grid of the future.”

Tesla and Octopus Energy have teamed up multiple times in the past, including in 2021 when the two worked to deploy Powerwalls in Germany together.

In 2022, the UK-based Octopus Energy also launched its EV Concierge service in Texas, helping users search for and find new and used electric vehicles (EVs) along with walking customers through the leasing process.

As of February, Tesla has deployed over 600,000 Powerwalls worldwide, and has piloted multiple VPP programs around the world using the home battery tech. While Tesla’s Powerwall 2 is what’s being deployed in most regions of the world, the U.S. company earlier this year launched its next-gen Powerwall 3 in the U.S., as followed by Canada last month.

Tesla launches large-scale Virtual Power Plant (VPP) at Puerto Rico

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Tesla partners with Octopus Energy on UK, Spain Powerwalls





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Tesla Cybertruck survives hit-and-run sideswipe collision w/ zero scratches

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One of the jokes that car enthusiasts typically tell each other is that damages from a crash — no matter how serious — could probably get “buffed out.” In the case of a Tesla Cybertruck that was sideswiped by a Ford Mustang, this turned out to be quite true. In fact, the Cybertruck didn’t even need to get buffed out at all. It just needed some cleaning and some new paint protection film.

As shared by Tesla owner @themegawatts on Instagram, his Cybertruck was involved in a sideswipe collision with a Mustang. The collision seemed substantial, as the Mustang’s sides were marked with the Cybertruck’s PPF after the crash. The Mustang’s side mirror was also evidently damaged from the crash, as could be seen in the Teslacam recording of the incident. 

Unfortunately for the Cybertruck driver, the driver of the Mustang opted to drive away from the incident. As noted by the Cybertruck driver, he opted not to pursue the Mustang due to safety concerns, though the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has been informed about the issue and an investigation has been initiated. The CHP has also asked for videos and other information surrounding the crash. 

Interestingly enough, the Cybertruck was actually completely unharmed by the sideswipe collision. As noted by the Tesla owner, the Cybertruck’s paint protection film was scratched during the incident, but when the PPF itself was removed, the all-electric pickup truck’s stainless steel panels were completely undamaged. 

This was highlighted in a video that the Cybertruck owner shared on YouTube. As could be seen in the video, the Cybertruck’s steel panels just needed some cleaning before a PPF replacement could be installed. Overall, the Tesla owner noted that the entire PPF replacement took just a couple of hours. After that, the all-electric pickup truck looked like it was never sideswiped at all. 

Elon Musk lightly commented during the Tesla Cybertruck’s first delivery event late last year that “If you’re ever in an argument with another car, you will win.” This definitely seemed to be the case with the Cybertruck in this incident. Based on the Teslacam footage of the crash, the same cannot be said for the Mustang that sideswiped the Cybertruck. 

The Cybertruck owner’s video of the incident can be viewed below. 

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Tesla Cybertruck survives hit-and-run sideswipe collision with zero scratches





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Tesla to allow FSD transfers for ‘one more quarter,’ says Musk

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Tesla will soon begin offering Full Self-Driving (FSD) transfers once again, according to a statement made by CEO Elon Musk during the company’s recent shareholder meeting.

During Tesla’s 2024 Annual Stockholder Meeting on Thursday, Musk was asked if Tesla would be making FSD transfers permanent. While Musk seemed unconvinced as he mulled over a response, an audience member shouted that Tesla should allow FSD transfers for “just one more quarter,” to which Musk agreed.

“Okay, one more quarter,” Musk responded with a sigh. “We got it—one more quarter.”

To be sure, Tesla hasn’t yet shared any details on its plans to re-launch FSD transfers, though they’ll likely become available in Q3, as the second quarter is coming to a close.

Tesla releases new FSD v12.4.1, Elon Musk says interventions will take ‘a year of driving’

Tesla began offering FSD transfers for the first time last year, as announced by CEO Elon Musk during the 2023 stockholders’ meeting. The announcement came in response to one investor asking if transfers of the service could be used as a demand lever, to which Musk responded by saying that Tesla would offer FSD transfers in the third quarter as a “one-time amnesty.”

Since then, Tesla has re-launched FSD transfers a couple of other times, starting with an announcement that it would do so in February. The incentive was originally set to take place until March 31, but when the deadline passed, it was reported that Tesla would again be offering FSD transfers after the original date.

The news comes ahead of Tesla’s plans to unveil an upcoming robotaxi platform in August, and as the company has been launching other FSD-related benefits over the past few months. In March, Tesla began offering one-month free trials of FSD for the first time, along with launching mandatory test drives with the software for new buyers.

With the arrival of Tesla’s highly anticipated v12, Tesla dropped the “beta” moniker, instead calling the software FSD (Supervised). Tesla is also preparing to launch FSD in markets outside of North America, as reports this week suggested that the company would soon be debuting 10 pilot vehicles in China set to test the system on the country’s roads.

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Tesla to allow FSD transfers for ‘one more quarter,’ says Musk





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