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Mercedes-Benz Copies Tesla, Plans To Offer Home Energy Storage
cartechboy writes: It's like a game of follow the leader. First, Tesla announced its Powerwall Batteries, and now Mercedes-Benz plans to follow suit by entering the energy-storage business as well. A division of parent company Daimler has been testing battery packs that can power houses, and plans to launch commercially in September. Supposedly a battery pack for "light industrial, commercial, and private" use is being tested with sizes ranging from 2.5 kWh to 5.9 kWh. While Tesla's building a massive Gigafactory to make all its batteries for its Powerwall and electric cars, it's unclear exactly how Daimler plans to produce its batteries in a larger-scale energy-storage operation.
If it is cost effective to store energy, wouldn't power companies be doing it?
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
Yes--Tesla has become a giant vaporware producer. Their fans speak as if Tesla has already cornered the EV and battery storage markets, in reality all they've done is ship a few Model S cars and made various announcements for products we can't yet buy (Model X, Model 3, Powerwall).
If only that 90-year-old, worldwide, multi-billion-dollar corporation knew as much about how to make money as you do!
I'm sure they're really kicking themselves for not asking your advice before moving forward with this.
The linked article just appears to be an advert for Mercedes cars, but this is quite an interesting development. I don't know if it is more a response to a market gap given the current issues Germany is having with too many renewables on their grid, or part of a broader strategy around their electric vehicles. Either way it is pretty exciting to see how quickly electric infrastructure is developing.
As an EE who has spent a huge amount of time fixing cars (don't buy a Peugeot) I think electric cars will be a no-brainer for customers once the cost reduces further, and I think Tesla is trying to push that point forward by creating another mass market for batteries. If they can get it right, things could change very quickly, and I think companies like Mercedes can see this.
I hope that Elon Musk can make these businesses viable and sustainable. In an era where most corporations increase profits by finding new ways to screw over their customers and create artificial scarcity, it's pretty exciting to think that in 20 years time driving a car could be cheaper than it is now and potentially even sustainable. In a world where most of the smartest people are trying to find ways to make you click on an advert or manipulate financial markets, this sort of thing is sadly pretty rare.
Repeat after me: TESLA HAS INVENTED NOTHING NEW. THIS INCLUDES HYPERLOOPS AND ALL THEIR OTHER SHIT. STOP BUYING INTO THE FUCKING HYPE YOU MORONS.
So, Tesla is basically doing what Apple did, except promoting something which is actually useful and not soul-destroying?
-Not to mention.., instead of building it all in slave factories overseas, Tesla is investing in American labor and technology.
I don't see the reason to wax alarmist here.
I'd still go with lead-acid for home energy storage, (they're uglier, but offer the same cost per kwh at around triple the product life span. Lead-acid is just better chemistry for deep cycle installations.)
But seeing the market shift over to renewables, energy owned by the individual rather than the oligarchy, is a pretty great thing, and Tesla is at the forefront of promoting that into popularity. I'm not going to dump on them for being good at marketing when they're also being good at "human".