It is not often that another car maker does something so big that the whole world takes notice, but Elon Musk’s recent announcement that they had developed a battery system designed specifically for home and office use is seriously big news not only for the motoring industry but the whole of Africa.
Solar Panels
Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer at Tesla Motors Inc., is easily one of the most impressive and far-sighted people in the world at the moment and has fingers in a whole host of renewable energy related programs, and his latest plan for energy distribution is nothing short of amazing. Using the same technology that has been used in the Tesla electric car, Tesla engineers have developed battery pack that is capable of storing sufficient energy to power an average home for up to five hours. This battery pack can be charged off of the mains or can be connected to renewable power generators such as solar or wind.
Using battery technology originally designed to power cars is not new technology – Nissan’s record breaking LEAF has already been used to power everything from homes to office buildings thanks it highly efficient and powerful battery system, but this shift towards dedicated home use is great news for communities where power is ever completely absent or erratic.
Nissan LEAF Charging Port
While the costs of this battery system are still quite high at the moment, expect to pay more than R40 000, the pressure behind this system and those being developed by Nissan shows that the world is not only ready, but all but begging for more electric vehicles and battery options. Some experts have even suggested that this demand might mean that Africa will ‘leapfrog’ the car industry, going from almost no cars whatsoever directly to an abundance of electric or green vehicles.
Want to get ahead of the global electric car curve? Take a look at the world’s best selling electric car, the Nissan LEAF proudly sold by Group1 Nissan.
