Tesla Model 3, Y Gain V2H With New PCS2 Lite Inverter

Not every car qualifies. According to Tesla, every U.S.-ordered Model 3 and Model Y placed after October 1 will arrive with the capability, as will some units built earlier. Owners can verify compatibility by checking Powershare Support under the Additional Vehicle Information screen in the Software menu.

A new inverter called PCS2 Lite does the work. It is related to the plain PCS2 that enables V2H on the Cybertruck, but with one key difference. The Cybertruck can send power straight to a home, whereas the 3 and Y need a Tesla Powerwall 3 battery plus either a Universal Wall Connector or a Gen 3 Wall Connector. Compatibility with older Powerwall versions is reportedly on the way. A Powerwall 3 installation can easily reach five figures based on the home.

The Powerwall arrangement includes its own battery at the home, leaving the vehicle's pack to function as a backup to that backup. During an outage, after the Powerwall's battery runs down, the vehicle both powers the home and refills the Powerwall pack.

Runtime depends on battery size and state of charge. Tesla estimates the base 3/Y pack adds roughly two days to an average home's backup, with the bigger pack in Premium and Performance variants stretching that past two days. For the same home, the Cybertruck is good for better than three days. Peak draw tops out at 11.5 kW, ahead of several rival V2H implementations.

Tesla's then-powertrain boss touted the move toward new electronics for V2H during the automaker's investor day in 2023. The company's service documents contain a draft procedure for swapping a Model Y's PCS1 for PCS2 Lite hardware, suggesting a retrofit is feasible, though whether it extends to the Model 3 or reaches customers remains unknown.

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